Compelled to Play for High Stakes
by Hotpoint
Summary: Fifth story in the Compelled Series: Escalating threats and internal strife threaten the lives and unity of the slayers - AU Series - Chapter 16 Posted
1. Chapter 1

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

_**Important note from the author:**This is the fifth story in the Compelled Series, reading parts one, two, three and four first will save you a great deal of confusion as to what's going on._

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**_WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 8 COMICS_**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**Scotland – Alternate Earth AE2005-0004-B (Pathfinder Index Code) – July 2005**

Dawn was starting to regret choosing a fashionable pair of expensive trainers rather than the utilitarian boots Connor was wearing as they trudged across the truly appalling terrain. It wasn't raining for the moment at least, but the soil underneath the all-pervasive heather covering the moor where they had first arrived had been sodden enough to ensure she was now squelching her way up the badly maintained path, heading towards the dilapidated castle up ahead. 'Remind me to get you to carry a spare pair of socks for me the next time we go on a trip' Dawn told him.

'If you carried a proper bag you could carry them yourself' Connor pointed out. He was hauling an army-surplus canvas knapsack that was even heavier than it looked whereas she had a designer handbag which was more expensive than anything had a right to be.

'We each play our part honey' Dawn told him, 'I look good and impress the natives with my charm and witty repartee, you carry the stuff and beat them up if they're not positively receptive to visitors from out of town' she said.

'So I'm nothing but a pack animal and a bodyguard' Connor responded with mock outrage. 'That's almost as bad as when you called me your sidekick' he complained.

'Well I hope you're not implying that my body doesn't _need_ guarding?' Dawn responded in an equally mock irate tone.

Connor looked thoughtful. 'Given the designs _I_ have on it, it probably does' he conceded. 'Those jeans look good' he told her, 'too tight for hiking in but I like the fit.'

'So is that why you keep letting me get a step ahead, so you can check out my ass?' Dawn asked, trying not to laugh.

'Hey it's pretty scenic around here but I know what I want to look at and it's not ruins, mountains or moorland' Connor replied. 'I don't follow you to other universes because I like to travel' he told her with a grin.

'You know I used to think you were deep' Dawn told him, 'all that spiritual wisdom and insight from growing up in a hell dimension.'

'It's not _my_ fault you're as hot as you are' Connor protested. 'I only love you for your mind... when I'm not looking at you anyway' he told her.

Dawn shrugged. 'I suppose I can't really blame you' she replied. 'Of course since I'm not shallow, and you're not as hot as me, I only ever love you for your mind' she told him deadpan.

'I am _so_ hotter than you' Connor replied defensively, 'find a thermometer and I'll prove it' he declared.

'Having a body that runs a couple of degrees above normal human temperature doesn't count' Dawn told him. 'That would be like describing your Dad as cool just because he's room temperature and you don't think that do you?'

'Not really' Connor had to agree, it was hard to think of his father as cool in any way, shape or form if you'd ever had to listen to him trying to explain the facts of life. Clumsy, inept and embarrassing for all concerned couldn't begin to describe it.

'Well at least I can argue I must be doing something right to have a hot girlfriend right' Connor asked, shifting tactics.

'I'm hot _and_ cool' Dawn declared.

'Wouldn't that make you lukewarm?' Connor asked sweetly.

'Don't go bringing thermodynamics into this' Dawn told him sharply as they neared the small stone bridge that connected the path to the castle gates.

Heavy oak timbers barred the way and Connor called up at the girls he had spotted up on the parapet above. 'Can we talk to the people in charge?' he asked loudly before turning back to Dawn. 'I can smell you everywhere' he said with a quizzical look on his face.

'I'm standing right _next_ to you Connor' Dawn pointed out, rolling her eyes. She was well used by now to his ability to locate her by smell but it did get creepy sometimes when he would go around the Hyperion sniffing the air to track her down, it was like being hunted by a vampire even if he had intentions other than drinking her blood.

Connor shook his head. 'No I mean this place smells more like you than _you_ do' he replied. Dawn's scent was all pervasive, inexplicably filling his nostrils more than it did when they were in bed together which was downright weird.

'Maybe there's a me here that doesn't have my high standards of hygiene or something?' Dawn suggested, they knew there was a better than even chance of one of both of them meeting themselves. 'Okay door's opening , best smile honey' she instructed him. 'No, less teeth' she advised as he put on a cheesy grin which was more off-putting than disarming.

The castle gates opened and Dawn found herself looking at her sister, or rather she found herself looking at one of the innumerable Buffy Summers that inhabited the multiverse, _none_ of whom were _really_ her sister because Dawn was technically an artificial construct made from a big green ball of mystical energy not a human being. 'Hi' Dawn said brightly, 'I guess you probably already know me, or at least you think you do, but I'm Dawn and I'm from an alternate universe' she greeted her sister's doppelganger. 'This is my boyfriend Connor' she added, Connor giving a friendly little wave of greeting as he wondered if this Buffy was as big a pain the ass as the one he already knew.

The outwardly familiar young woman just stared at them wide-eyed so Connor decided to take the opportunity to pull a folded up photocopy out of his pocket, open it up and hold it up in front of her. 'We're wondering if you've seen anything that looked like this?' he asked, showing her a picture of one of Jasmine's demon insect followers. 'We think they might have come to this dimension and if they have you're in trouble and we'd like to help' he said.

The alternate Buffy looked away from Dawn and at the picture which she immediately snatched from his hand. 'What do you know about these things?' she asked forcefully. 'Who the hell are you people?' she added suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

'I think we've come to the right place' Dawn observed happily.

'Hey who's at the...' a familiar voice began behind Buffy then stopped, a single eye staring at Dawn in shock.

'Hey they've got a Xander here too' Dawn told Connor, he was wearing an eye-patch so she guessed Caleb squished his other one. Her Xander would have been in the same state if Illyria hadn't jumped back in time and then introduced the good right arm of the First Evil to her own, morally ambiguous at best though very hard, left fist.

'It's a trick' Buffy said eventually. 'Magicks' she reasoned. 'Get Willow' she ordered a slayer who was nearby, the girl immediately dashing off.

'Oh geez', Dawn moaned, she had expected a degree of scepticism under the circumstances but that didn't mean it was welcome. 'Look, I'm a real Dawn Summers from a parallel universe' she told them earnestly. 'Have techno-mystical portal key, will travel' she continued, showing them the mechanism fitted around her left forearm. 'I'm not a demon using a glamour to look like _your_ Dawn or anything like that' she said, 'If you've got a Willow here too, you can get her to check' she suggested. 'Its daylight and we're clearly not vampires so could you invite us in and maybe let me borrow a dry set of trainers from _your_ Dawn?' she requested. 'My feet are soaking wet because we hiked across the moor to get here, you've got some kind of shield up that stopped me opening a portal any closer than we did' she said. That wasn't strictly true, the pathfinder device could have been set to a higher power-level and punched a portal through the mystical barriers and wards than guarded this place but that would have hurt because it would have needed to drain more key-energy from her blood.

Buffy looked at her. 'I don't think they'll fit' she said eventually, Xander behind her unable not to chuckle although neither Dawn nor Connor got the joke.

To be fair they were probably treated more civilly than unexpected visitors from a parallel universe might have been if they turned up at the door of Shadow Valley back home, nobody had suggested strapping them to a surgical table for a detailed internal examination like Knox would have done, but Connor was still annoyed at having his stuff taken away and then being tied to a chair whilst Xander dressed like a character in one of Gunn's comic collection performed a laughably clichéd interrogation. 'I'm not working for Twilight' Connor maintained, 'we've barely even dealt with them back home' he continued, 'they're not even a nuisance and the bugs are nothing to do with them either' he stated. 'The bugs worship a rogue higher power named Jasmine and they're crusading for her, going from dimension to dimension conquering worlds for her glory because that's what they think she wants' he said.

'And you think they're scouting this world for their next attack?' Xander asked.

'We sent a strike team to their home dimension' Connor told him, wondering if Dawn was getting on any better trying to persuade the natives of what was going on, they were being interrogated separately, probably hoping to trip them up if their stories diverged, Buffy dealing with Dawn. 'The bugs use a kind of crystal, portal orbs we call them, the bugs call them keys' Connor explained, 'we captured a few of them and Fred figured out a way to check where the orbs had opened portals to' he said. 'One of the worlds one of the orbs had been to was this one' he continued. 'We know they send a few reconnaissance teams to a world before they attack in scale so we decided to come here, contact the local slayers and warn you, maybe offer to help.'

'Help?' Xander asked, the single slayer standing guard in the bare stone room with him and the skinny kid looked sceptical too.

Connor nodded. 'We're fighting the bugs' he said, 'trying to stop them before they get too powerful' he stated. 'There's a war coming, biggest war ever between Jasmine's Armies, the First Evil and the Slayers' he declared, 'the other factions like Twilight, Wolfram and Hart or the Powers-That-Be aren't major players, it's out of their league.'

'The First Evil is gone' Xander replied. 'We beat the Turok-Han, closed the Hellmouth' he said confidently.

'So did we in _our_ dimension' Connor told him. 'The problem is that in some other world, or maybe worlds, the son-of-a-bitch _won_ and once he's got enough troops he'll start invading other universes like this one, not with hundreds or thousands but with _tens of millions_ of Turok'Han' he said. 'I know your local problems might seem like a big deal to you but big-picture they're not that important' he declared.

Xander suddenly grabbed him by the collar, fury emblazoned across his face. 'Our people have _died_' he said. 'Don't you fucking _dare_ say they died for something unimportant' he raged.

Connor looked him right in the eyes, or rather eye. 'Get your hands off me' he said coldly, he had too short a fuse to take this kind of treatment with good grace.

'Why?' Xander asked with a smirk, 'what are you going to do about it?' he asked the skinny kid who Willow had already verified was human.

Connor smirked back, a slayer would have passed the witches test as human too.

Xander realised he'd made a big mistake when the kid effortlessly broke his bonds, threw him away and moved inhumanly fast to sweep the legs out from under the unwary slayer and knocked her unconscious with his fist before she could recover either her balance or her wits. The element of surprise is a wonderful thing, Connor thought happily, there was no way that a slayer would expect a teenage boy to be not only nearly as strong as her but also faster and more agile. 'Say you're sorry' he told Xander who was trying to pick himself up after a jarring impact with the stone floor.

'What?' Xander asked incredulously.

'Say you're sorry for grabbing hold of me like that' Connor responded, 'and be grateful I don't beat up on ordinary people unless they _really_ piss me off' he declared, straightening his collar where Xander had manhandled it.

'What the hell _are_ you?' Xander asked, straightening up.

'Human with demonic strength' Connor explained. 'Like a slayer, but I don't throw like a girl' he said. 'Sorry about the one down there but I had to knock her out before one of us badly hurt the other one' he said. 'I couldn't have done that to her if she was more alert, you need to add more paranoia to your training regime' he advised. 'At home there would have been three girls at least, one of them would have had a taser and another an assault rifle or a shotgun aimed at me the whole time' he stated.

'We don't use guns' Xander said, surprised at the notion. 'That's not what being a slayer is about' he said.

Connor couldn't help but grin. 'Quaint' he responded, trying not to sound as condescending as he felt about it. 'If you people don't use guns then the bugs will eat you alive' he said, 'literally' he added.

The door swung open. 'We've never needed guns' Buffy said, pointing a crossbow at him.

'I can catch that bolt before it hits me and then you're out of ammunition' Connor replied, trying to sound more confident about that than he felt. 'I couldn't say the same if you had a rifle aimed at my guts' he noted. 'I didn't kill the Nick Fury wannabe when I could have, how about a truce and you let me see my girlfriend again' he requested.

'He took out Mary with one punch' Xander said, indicating the prone slayer. 'He moves quick like a vampire' he continued, 'and he's _strong_' he declared. 'He says he part demon or something.'

'If you cause any more trouble then I'll deal with you like I would any other demon' Buffy told him flatly, crossbow still levelled at the boy.

Connor smiled. 'Glad to hear it' he said, 'I was worried about how wussy you really were here' he said. 'My girlfriend?' he asked.

'Come with me' Buffy told him. 'Xander get some girls to take Mary to the infirmary' she told him, then join us in Dawn's room' she said.

'If you search through my bag watch out for the grenades in there' Connor warned. 'The Helios grenade marked with the sun symbol will just give you the worst case of sunburn ever, they're designed for use against vampires, but the others are lethal to just about anything' he said. 'They're Incendiary grenades.'

'You carry grenades in your bag?' Xander asked in surprise.

'It's a big bad multiverse' Connor replied. 'There are some dimensions out there I'd only feel safe going to with a dozen slayers with scythes and machine-guns and maybe a demon-god too as backup' he said seriously. 'It took weeks to get our Buffy to agree to Dawn scouting even alternate Earths and those are relatively safe.'

'Scythes?' Buffy repeated, 'plural?' she continued. 'A "demon-god" as backup?' she asked nonplussed

Connor grinned for a second time. 'Quaint' he observed again.

Dawn looked up at her alternate self in this world and finally understood not only why Connor said this whole place smelled of her but also why she had often seemed to get the impression that Illyria was surreptitiously monitoring her height. 'Okay I see two possibilities' she said. 'You either did a thricewise' she began, 'or else another magical being with a sense of humour overheard you wishing you had bigger boobs' she reasoned. 'Two words' normal sized Dawn said, 'mystical prophylactics' she sagely advised. 'That's what I use to avoid this kind of thing' she told her scaled up doppelganger. 'If I laughed you wouldn't squish me would you?' she asked.

'I'm making no promises' her twin in general appearance if not height replied.

'Could have been worse' Willow pointed out, 'you could have been shrunk to Barbie size' she said.

'At least I'd have access to a better wardrobe' the more epically scaled Dawn responded with a sigh. 'So I guess I had better taste in men in your world?' she asked her visitor. 'Nice normal boyfriend?'

Dawn did laugh this time. 'Not so much on the normal but he's nice' she said. 'Your Willow didn't recognise him, so either he doesn't exist here or there's a spell still in place to erase everyone's memories of him, but he's Angel's son' she said.

'Angel?' Willow queried. 'He's a vampire' she said, 'vampires sire a childe, they don't father children' she stated. 'At least not here they don't' she added. Rules could be different in other worlds she knew, like dimensions where the sunlight didn't burn vampires for example.

'Oh they don't in my world either' Dawn explained, 'Connor was the product of a Higher Power messing with the normal way of the universe in order to be reborn' she said. 'We call her Jasmine and she's also the being the bugs I told you about worship' she said. 'They're crusading in her name, or at least they would be if they _knew_ her real name but they don't' she continued, 'they call her the "Blessed Devourer" because she eats her worshippers, which strangely they don't object to because she uses some power she has to have everyone love her and be happy and contented.'

'That's not my idea of a fair deal for the worshippers' Willow opined.

'Ours neither, that's why we have ideological issues with her and her troops' Dawn replied with a smile. 'We told them that they can worship her if they like, freedom of religion is fine, but they _can't_ invade other worlds and force other people to, and we're _not_ going to stand by and let her eat people' she said forcefully. 'They don't look like they took any notice because right now we're getting ready to go to war when we find out which worlds they're trying to conquer' she told them.

Buffy appeared, crossbow still in hand, with Connor and a squad of slayers following, the girls now watching him like a hawk having heard how he'd taken down Mary. 'We've been getting reports from slayer teams all around the world of encountering big demon insects that are very strong and fast' she said. 'They're killing people and using their blood and body parts in strange rituals' she noted. 'Mainly in sewers' she added.

'Blood magicks' pathfinder Dawn explained. 'The bugs are good at that, they can use them to open portals, set up mystical barriers or make location spells' she said. 'They think their blood magicks are more powerful than our word magicks and unfortunately in many cases they're right' she said regretfully. 'You can stop staring now Connor' she told her boyfriend who was gaping at the giant version of his girlfriend.

Connor blinked. 'The last thing I saw that size that wasn't a building was the Beast of Amalfi' he said in amazement.

'She's not a "thing" Connor and if you call her that again she might squash you like Amalfi was going to' his Dawn said. 'Excuse my boyfriend, he's sweet but he has his jerk moments' she apologised to her XXL sized double.

'That's okay, I get that reaction a lot' the other Dawn replied. 'Who or what was Amalfi?' she asked curiously, there weren't many creatures her size around.

'Giant demon' Connor replied, 'chased me half way across LA because I pissed it off' he said.

'How?' Willow asked.

'I threw a grenade at it and it stung a bit' he said. 'Skin was like an alligator but like a foot thick' he said then frowned. 'Honestly it seemed a good idea at the time' he said in his defence. 'Illyria, our Buffy and our Willow killed it eventually' he said, 'took some doing though, Amalfi was even tougher than he looked' he said.

'Illyria?' Willow asked.

'Dimension-jumping, time-travelling Demon-God from the Primordium Age' Dawn explained. 'She's the main reason our timeline is so diverged from yours' she said. 'In our reality she jumped back from 2005 to 2003 to defeat Jasmine and the First Evil before they got too powerful and killed too many slayers' she said. 'Now she's pushing for us to throw everything we can into an effort to protect all the alternate Earths from demon attack.'

'Why would a Demon-God do that?' Buffy queried in confusion.

'Long story' Dawn replied, 'if you wrote it down it would probably rival War and Peace for length' she said. 'I'll give you the Cliffs Notes version later' she offered.

'_Our_ track record with Demon-God's isn't so great' Willow remarked.

'Glory?' Dawn asked.

'Yeah' Buffy replied.

Connor grinned. 'In our universe Wolfram and Hart resurrected her to fight Illyria' he said, 'really bit them on the ass' he added with a chuckle.

'Glory came back?' the giant Dawn exclaimed in horror.

'Yeah but Illyria beat the heck out of her' the visiting Dawn replied. 'The kicker is Illyria forced her to accept servitude so Glory works for us now' she said. 'I sent her to fetch my laundry last week, making her do demeaning chores, it never gets old I'll tell you' she said happily.

'Glory? Glory the freaking _Hellgod_, works for you?' Buffy exclaimed in shock.

'Right' Connor confirmed. 'So this parallel universe seems a lot like the one Illyria originally came from' he observed, 'other than the minor details which she likes to leave out because she thinks it's funny' he continued, indicating the extra-large economy-sized version of his girlfriend, 'so I guess Amy Madison isn't on the team here either?' he asked curiously.

'No' Willow replied, then her eyes widened. 'She _is_ in your dimension?' she asked in surprise.

'Not strictly by choice but she's one of your witches' Dawn told her. 'You've been training her, teaching her more powerful spells so she can help out in the war' she said then frowned. 'You're a lot shorter on resources than we are' she realised, 'how many slayers have you got?' she asked.

'Loads, just over five hundred' Buffy replied proudly.

Dawn grimaced. 'We've got two thousand and our biggest problem is we're outnumbered all to hell' she said. 'Now you didn't save Medousa I guess so you've only got the one scythe too right?'

'Who's Medousa' Willow asked.

'That's a yes to the one scythe then' Dawn continued. 'Medousa is the Guardian, the old woman in the pyramid tomb in Sunnydale Caleb killed here I'd think' she said. 'She survived in our world, now she's into scythe mass-production.'

'One scythe and they don't use guns either' Connor noted.

'Oh geez they're really not ready to deal with a bug invasion here' Dawn responded, crossing her arms and putting on a despairing look.

'Hey we can deal with anything you can' Willow declared, more than annoyed at these interlopers from another universe implying otherwise.

The pathfinder device on Dawn's suddenly stated to beep urgently. Dawn looked at it then grimaced again. 'I think you're about to test that theory' she said. 'The bugs must be watching this place, monitoring people portalling into this dimension' she continued. 'This thing is telling me that several portals are opening up at the far end of the glen to the west and that they aren't ours' she said.

'Shit' Connor swore. 'They've probably decided to launch their attack on you early before we can raise your game' he said.

'This is going to be _big_ Connor' Dawn said, staring at the screen on the device. 'We're probably talking an army here' she said.

'We've repulsed attacks on the castle before' Buffy said confidently.

'Zombies and shape-changing vampires right?' Connor asked.

'Right' Buffy replied, they were _very_ well informed she decided.

'Each bug is nearly slayer strength, they're got a hardened exoskeleton that is resistant to physical damage like blades' Connor responded, 'they've got claws that'll slice through _you_ like a hot knife through butter' he continued, 'they're smart they're fast, they're determined and we're not only talking just a few hundred of them' he said.

'Maybe a few hundred-_thousand_' Dawn told them seriously. 'They'll swarm over you like ants and they don't take it in turns to fight you one at a time' she said, 'each of your girls will be trying to fight off as many of them as can reach her at once' she said.

'We know they can scale a sheer cliff' Connor said, 'their most important temple is at the top of one, so they'll climb your walls too' he told them. 'How many girls are in this castle?' he asked, looking at the slayers dotted around.

'A hundred or so' Buffy told him, she was starting to get concerned now. The two of them certainly seemed pretty convinced of what they were saying, and _they_ looked increasingly nervous.

A slayer ran in. 'Ma'am I was up on the wall and there's like... there's like an army of huge cockroaches coming towards us, millions of them' she said, exaggerating but not as much as would have been healthy.

'Battlements _now_!' Buffy yelled and started running, the other slayers, Willow, Connor and the Dawn who could fit through the doorways and corridors following behind.

They reached the walls and Buffy gaped at the sight, it was like a sea of demons although as she watched it seemed to be shifting into a distinct pattern. 'They're forming up into battle formations to assault the castle' Connor explained. 'The bugs fight organised large-scale wars against each other' he said, 'or at least they used to before the one they call the Prophet united them' he continued. 'They'll test out your defences first, try tactics before they resort to a full on charge' he said.

'Why?' Willow queried, looking at the mass of creatures in front of them.

'The bugs don't fear _us_ but they fear human weaponry' Dawn explained, 'what's that phrase Vi uses, force...' she asked Connor.

'Force-multipliers' Connor reminded her. 'One slayer with a sword is usually more than a match for a single bug and its claws but a slayer with an assault rifle can kill a hundred bugs before they get close enough to even get the _chance_ to use their claws' he said. 'You want to volley crossbow bolts as fast as you can' he advised. 'If you've got glass bottles and any liquid that'll burn, gasoline, kerosene, vodka whatever make Molotov cocktails fast.'

'I'll get on it Ma'am' one of the slayers said, taking the initiative and dashing off.

'You brought this down on us' Buffy said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Connor.

'Bullshit' Connor retorted, 'they'd have come in the end anyway, all we've done is told you what's going on' he told her. 'Dawn we need help from back home' he told the girl. 'Make sure they know we need everyone they can send.'

'Everyone?' Dawn asked.

'_Everyone_' Connor repeated with emphasis.

'I'll be back soon honey' Dawn told him, she knew he'd stay to fight, help them hold off the demons until help could arrive. She pulled him into an embrace and kissed him hard. 'If you die I'm going to bring you back and give you such a talking to' she threatened, forcing a smile.

'I'm from the quar'toth' Connor reminded her. 'I wasn't born in this briar patch but I was raised in it' he declared, Dawn had been teaching him pop-culture so he didn't have to take her advice and smile and nod instead when he didn't understand a reference.

'Stand back everyone unless you want to find out what happens if someone opens a portal inside you' Dawn said, hitting the touchpad control on the pathfinder device that would return her to her own world. Needles sprung out into her arm and the crystal inside the device started to channel the key energy in her blood to force open a swirling vortex in front of her as Buffy and the others slayers momentarily looked transfixed at her instead of the demons.

'There are wards in place that stop you doing that' Willow stated, staring in wonder as the portal opened.

'And it hurts like hell because of them' Dawn responded through gritted teeth, it was getting close to excruciating by the time it was large enough to step through. 'See you later Connor' she said, disappearing into the mystical whirlwind.

Connor watched the portal close after her. 'I need everything that's in my bag' he said. 'There's an automatic and a couple of clips hidden in the bottom, a few grenades and my knife.'

'We can give you a sword' Buffy told him.

'My knife is special' Connor told her.

'Lucky?' Willow asked.

'Demonic' Connor replied, 'it changes into a sword and it's sharper than a normal blade' he said. 'You want everyone up here with every weapon they've got because this is going to get bloody' he told her. 'Have you got armour? Chain mail for the girls?' he asked.

'No' Buffy replied.

'Jesus' Connor blasphemed, his adopted father Holtz would have tanned his hide for doing that, 'you're only living in the Dark Ages where it's fucking detrimental to you' he opined.

Xander appeared next to them with a small telescope and pair of binoculars he'd grabbed, thrusting the latter at Buffy. 'I suit the pirate look better' he said holding the telescope up to his good eye. 'Okay what the hell are the things that look like The Thing from the Fantastic Four but with horns?' he asked.

'Oh shit!' Connor exclaimed. 'Can I borrow that?' he asked Xander who passed him the telescope. 'We're screwed' he said flatly, focusing on one of the figures striding amongst the bugs.

'What now?' Buffy demanded to know.

'I've only ever seen _one_ before' Connor said, lowering the telescope. 'We are in a _lot_ of trouble' he said in dismay.

'It looks a little like a Fyarl Demon made of stone' Buffy said, looking at one through the binoculars.

'It's at least three times the strength of a slayer' Connor told them, 'crossbow bolts, bullets and swords will bounce off' he continued, 'it can jump higher than a master vampire and it's smarter than it looks' he continued. 'We didn't think there were any of them involved yet' he said, shaking his head. 'Faith probably fought one before she came to Sunnydale in this dimension too' he recalled.

'_That'_s what those are?' Willow exclaimed. 'It beat Faith to a pulp' she said, remembering hearing the story from the other slayer as they drove from LA to Sunnydale.

'How do we kill them?' Buffy asked.

'A slayer scythe, a piece of its own body fashioned into a weapon, which isn't that useful to know right now, or anti-tank weaponry' Connor replied. 'Anything else will make them annoyed at most' he said. 'Those things make Turok'Han look like complete wimps' he declared.

A girl must have fetched his knapsack because she handed it to him. He pulled out a few things, tucking the Glock Automatic into his waistband and pocketing the spare magazines along with half a dozen grenades. He finally took out his bowie knife and muttered the spell that morphed it, the steel seeming to flow turning it into a gleaming sword.

'Now you've got all the cool gear now don't you?' Xander remarked.

'We do alright' Connor replied as girls started to take up position right along the castle walls, he recognised many of them although they seemed different to the ones he knew somehow, less hard-edged or something.

'Willow this looks like a good time to see some of your best work' Buffy told the red-haired witch.

'I can raise a mystical barrier that might hold them for a while' Willow responded.

'Not as long as you'd hope' Connor replied, 'Bug blood magicks' he explained. 'Crawly bastards are tricky little suckers' he said glumly, Enyo had lectured them all about the abilities the things had demonstrated during the Dimension Wars, one of the most important lessons had been to always keep in mind that just because they looked like big dumb insects they were more intelligent than most demons, and frankly brighter than a lot of humans.

'How many of them are there?' a girl asked in horror as she joined the others.

'Millions' another slayer replied. 'We are _so_ screwed' she said.

'There's a hundred thousand tops, probably less' Xander replied, trying to sound like it wasn't a big deal.

'So we're only outnumbered a thousand to one, well this is going to be a breeze' a third girl responded sarcastically.

'Hey the skinny kid has been through this before and lived right?' Xander asked Connor.

'No, first time' Connor admitted. 'I've been mainly feeding you hearsay' he said.

'This is not my best day ever' Buffy mumbled. First she'd argued with Satsu about hogging the blanket when they were trying to enjoy breakfast in bed, then she'd had another argument, this time with Dawn about something so trivial she couldn't remember what it was and now to cap it off she was going to get eaten by a horde of demon insects.

'So how fast can we expect the cavalry?' Xander asked.

'Look over there' a girl exclaimed, pointing into the sky in the distance as a portal started to form high in the air growing larger and larger until it seemed as big as a house, Dawn couldn't open a portal that big any closer because of the wards, even so Connor was willing to bet she was in agony.

A helicopter shot out of the vortex and headed straight towards them. 'About two hundred miles an hour' Connor replied to Xander with a grin as the machine rapidly approached, flying over the demons below who were impotent to stop it.

The aircraft stopped directly above, hovering no more than fifty feet over their heads, the sound deafening and Buffy having noted the crossed scythes insignia on the nose as it arrived, ropes were dropped down and figures wearing all black uniforms with helmets and what looked like military weapons began rappelling down at high speed.

'That's a damn gunship' Xander shouted over the engine noise as the first girl set down. The helicopter was armed like something you'd see in a Vietnam movie.

'Yeah' Connor yelled back, grinning as the first girl landed. 'We've got all the cool gear' he affirmed as a dozen girls laden with scythes, swords and assorted military hardware landed in quick succession.

Xander hadn't been expecting Dimension-Mobile Air Cavalry to arrive just in the nick of time but you couldn't say he objected to the surprise as the legions of demons approached. His only regret was that they couldn't have turned up in time to save Renee as well as his sorry ass.

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**_Note from the Author:_**

_Decided to start off the fifth Compelled Story with a little change from my originally planned opening chapters, this is a crossover of sorts between the Compelled Universe and the Season 8 Comics as of approximately just after issue 15 (or rather a dimension very much like them)._ _I was intending an epic battle between the slayers and teeming hordes of Jasmines Bugs so I thought why not do it with the hopelessly ill-equipped Season 8 Slayers thrown into the mix?_

_A hundred thousand demon bugs with a couple of hundred Rock Demons versus the meanest, best armed slayers in the multiverse plus their freinds... yes Chapter Two is going to be pretty violent all right ;-)_

_Welcome back to Compelled, and remember as ever this fanfic runs on reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 8 COMICS**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**Scotland – Alternate Earth AE2005-0004-B (Pathfinder Index Code) – July 2005**

The helicopter pulled away from the castle and released the ropes letting them fall away as soon as the last girl to rappel down onto the walls had landed. It flew off and began circling them far enough away that the whine of its turbine engines didn't interfere with the mixed clamour of nervous, bewildered and frankly horrified conversations that were going on between the hundred or so slayers now manning the battlements.

Connor recognised one of the black-clad new arrivals, she had been one of the slayers that fought against the First Evil back in Sunnydale and although he couldn't claim to know more than a fraction of the girls generally there was a camaraderie between those who had fought side-by-side against the Turok'han in the hellmouth. 'Lucy' he called out, waving at her, the girl spotting him and running over, ignoring the looks she was getting from the locals.

'You're _our_ Connor right?' the girl began, verifying his identity. They had all been lectured on the need to make sure you were talking to the right person when in a parallel dimension.

'Right' Connor confirmed. 'This _isn't_ our Buffy' he noted.

'No shit and I guess the guy with the patch ain't our Xander either' Lucy responded wryly. 'Gunslayer First Class Lucy Dean reporting for duty Ma'am' she introduced herself with a half-hearted salute then looked out at the vast number of demons moving towards them. 'Looks like got a real pest control problem' she observed thoughtfully.

Buffy looked at the girl, she knew her, or at least she knew the version of Lucy that lived in this universe, it was hard to reconcile them though. Her Lucy didn't carry a machine-gun, didn't have her own scythe handing from a strap on her back and definitely didn't wear a helmet with "Chosen to Kill" written on the front. 'There's more coming right?' she asked the pseudo-stranger.

'Oh yeah we were the only ones ready to go straight away' Lucy replied, 'we were about to do some live-fire exercises so we just grabbed some extra ammo and jumped on the Huey when it was ready' she said. 'Garfield wasn't too happy at the idea of flying through the portal but the good thing about mercs is they're open to financial persuasion' she told Connor. 'They offered him a bonus, bolted the weapons on fast and we came on through' she said. 'Cool or what?' she asked rhetorically with a grin.

'Glad to see you, I hope you've got _plenty_ of extra bullets' Connor noted, indicating the army headed their direction.

'Thousand rounds a girl, ten grenades apiece for the launchers' Lucy replied, indicating the single-shot grenade launcher fitted under the barrel of her rifle. 'We'll get a few of them' she declared brightly.

'Not nearly enough' Xander responded flatly.

'Can't argue with that' Lucy agreed. Even if they never missed and killed a demon with every bullet, which wasn't remotely possible as it usually took several hits on average, they would still run out of ammunition well before the enemy ran out of bodies. 'How many of them are there?' she asked.

'Over a hundred thousand' Connor told her.

'Conservatively we'll get no more than three thousand before we're hand to hand' Lucy stated. 'Maybe more if we're lucky' she continued, 'it's a pretty good place to defend' she decided, looking around. 'If we're careful with ammo and only start firing at half a klick, we'll bloody them pretty bad at least' she reasoned.

'Half a klick is _long_ range' Xander noted, 'a klick is a kilometer' he told Buffy, 'soldier talk' he explained.

'It's not long range for one of these' Lucy replied, indicating her assault rifle. 'The rounds are still supersonic out well past a klick, at half that the trajectory is a lot flatter than the five-fifty-six NATO you're thinking of' she told him. 'We're been trying to get _our_ Xander to give up his M-16 for one of these but he won't' she told him.

'I've got an M-16?' Xander queried, he knew how to use one thanks to his soldier-boy memories but he didn't own one. They didn't use guns in the slaying business on this world, he was actually surprised they did in another parallel one.

'Yeah but I think the last thing that was killed with it was a bunny' Connor told him. 'You locked it away so Anya couldn't get to it after that' he added. 'It's not just bugs Lucy we've got worse out there' he told the girl seriously.

The gunslayer raised her rifle to look through the telescopic sight built into it. 'Okay so now I wish we had a few RPG's' she said with a grimace. 'I guess my scythe's going to earn its keep when those big red, rocky fuckers get here' she said glumly. 'Grenades might slow them down I suppose?' she remarked hopefully.

'Don't count on it' Connor told her.

'Oh this is all too weird' Willow declared. 'Parallel universes, demon armies...'

'They warned us to expect provincial attitudes' Lucy observed with a shrug, reaching to the radio headset fitted to her helmet and flicking it on. 'Garfield, as soon as one of those red things with the horns get close try and hit it with a rocket okay' she told the pilot. 'Don't waste the minigun ammo on them, it'll bounce off' she added. 'Use it to rip up the bugs.'

Buffy looked down the line of girls, the small number of new arrivals having positioned themselves unbidden at regular intervals and now either joining in conversation with her own slayers or looking out at the demons through rifle sights. 'Willow is there anything you can do?' she asked.

Willow blinked. 'I can put up a mystical barrier' she said, 'like the one that I used to stop the Knights of Byzantium, I'm strong enough to shield the whole castle now' she said, 'but I don't know how long I could hold it for' she admitted.

'The bug mages will probably crack it a lot faster than you'd like' Lucy told her. 'It's always a numbers game with them' she said. 'When I fought them on their homeworld we killed thousands of them but in the end we had to retreat because we ran out of ammunition before they ran out of troops' she told them, 'or guts' she added. 'They're brave and they believe' she noted, 'they believe _hard_' she said. 'Never been more proud of something I was killing than those things out there' she said.

'I think they're about to prove their faith' Xander said, looking out at the demons. They seemed to have forming up into huge blocks, each perhaps ten thousand strong.

'Trust in the Lord but keep your powder dry' Lucy responded. That was one of the innumerable adopted catchphrases the gunslayers liked to throw about almost as much as they did concussion grenades.

'Buffy there's a girl running up the track out there' one of the slayers called out, pointing down at the broken gravel trail that led to the castle.

'Who's missing?' Xander called out urgently. Sometimes the girls liked to wander out onto the moors, whoever it was her timing stank.

Lucy looked through her telescopic sight again. 'It's not one of yours' she said, with another grin. 'We just got reinforced' she announced as the lone girl veered off the track and inexplicably kept running _towards_ the demons.

'Is it who I think it is?' Connor asked.

'Yeah, well it's not like anybody else is going to travel with her are they' Lucy answered.

'Who is that lunatic?' Buffy asked incredulously as the girl continued to run towards the horde, rapidly closing with them, she was clearly a slayer from her speed.

'She's really more of a _what, _than a who' Connor told her. 'Or maybe a who _and_ a what' he added after thinking about it some more.

Rebecca Wyndham-Pryce had literally dropped out of a portal two miles away, at several hundred feet of altitude, and had been sprinting towards her destination ever since she pulled herself out of the boggy ground where she landed and reached the path, which unlike the moor was sturdy enough underfoot to run on. It was only fortunate that the opposition had not seen her method of arrival given that it both gave her the element of surprise and also left her dignity intact. She doubted anyone would have regarded her with awe if they'd seen her driven to her waist into the ground and then clambering out hoping not to leave a boot behind.

Wearing the same black combat gear as the girls who had already arrived she had an oversized "pistol" made from a cut-down fifty-calibre sniper rifle holstered against her right thigh, a standard-issue roman style gladius short-sword hanging from her belt on the other side and a partially blue broadsword strapped to her back which would have made the one William Wallace used to haul around these parts green with envy. Slowing to a jog, and finally a slow walk, as she neared the demon ranks she wished to hell she had borrowed a scythe too because Dawn hadn't mentioned a damn thing about the stone behemoths mixed in with the bugs. Those things were dangerous, even for her in large numbers, three of them working together had once beaten her badly enough to break her jaw and several ribs before she managed to break free.

Rebecca stopped less than a hundred yards ahead of the demons and tried her best to look nonchalant about it. 'This is not your world' she called out. 'Leave now or face certain death' she told them authoritatively.

Approximately twelve thousand demons who were in line of sight, many of whom had understood her words and had translated them to their comrades nearby, stared at her incredulously, and thousands others further back in the formation wondered what in the name of the Blessed Devourer was going on as word spread. After some deliberation they collectively decided that the heretic with the mop of brown fur on top of her head stood before them wasn't worshipping with a full set of clay prayer tablets and eventually one had the presence of mind to step forward to address her. 'Accept the true god into your life and bask in her glory that she may cure you of your derangement' it advised helpfully.

Rebecca glared at the insectoid demon. 'I stand as champion of Illyria, God-King of the Primordium, sworn enemy of the false trickster you worship' she declared. 'Who among you has the courage to face me alone?' she asked.

'You think that if you defeat one of us the rest will leave?' the demon who had spoken up asked, it was a nice try anyway he thought, but smacked of desperation.

'No I merely wish to test my fighting skills and faith against yours' Rebecca replied. 'The outcome of the fight will decide nothing but who has the greater warriors in their cause.'

'Such a challenge is no test' a deep voice interrupted, 'but I will give you the death you clearly desire' it said as the speaker, an eight foot red demon declared pushing its way past the other smaller demons surrounding it.

Oh this is going to hurt in the morning, Rebecca thought to herself as she removed her weapons, put them on the ground and limbered up. 'Bare knuckles good for you?' she asked as the demon approached with a confident smirk on its face.

Xander watched the fight from up on the wall, holding his telescope up to his one good eye. 'She's getting killed out there' he stated, watching the demon beat the living daylights out of the girl. Time after time she was knocked flying but kept getting back up and attacking again, he winced as the demon punched her in the gut, doubling her over, before it landed a punch to the side of her head that sent her practically somersaulting away.

'I can try and save her' Willow offered.

'If she wanted to she could run away' Connor told her.

'So she'd rather get beaten to death?' Buffy exclaimed. 'What is this? Some kind of warrior code? No retreat no surrender?' she asked with derision.

Lucy rolled her eyes and turned towards this dimensions version of the Chief Slayer. 'She's buying time' she responded. 'This is a delaying tactic' she stated with certainty.

'What?' Buffy replied in bewilderment.

'She's _letting_ that thing beat up on her because as long as its friends are stood around watching the dumbass human getting turned into bloody pulp they aren't attacking _us_' Connor explained. 'It won't be for much longer though' he added, 'she'll be pissed off in a minute' he said, shaking his head sadly. 'Poor bastard.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Xander replied, lowering the telescope.

'I'd keep watching if I was you' Connor advised.

Rebecca put her arm across her ribs as if to protect them as she tried to get up once again but failed, wheezing as is she had been broken up inside by the relentless pummelling. This must have been what it was like for Mom the first time she met one of these things she decided.

'I had heard tales of the power of the slayers' the demon said, standing over her, 'but you are nothing' he declared. 'You would make war against my Master and her armies?' he asked rhetorically. 'You are weak and pathetic' he opined dismissively. 'A pity, I was hoping for so much more' he said regretfully.

'I guess the lesson there is that you shouldn't make assumptions without seeing for yourself' Rebecca told him, before coughing repeatedly.

'I will be merciful and end this now' the demon told her magnanimously, looking down at the fragile human with a mixture of pity and contempt. 'Truly, is this all that you are?' he asked rhetorically bringing down a granite fist.

The girl caught the fist in her hand and held it in a painfully strong grip. 'No' she replied in cold and harsh tones, getting up off the ground.

Watching from the castle battlements Xander blinked and lowered his telescope again. 'Okay, so do any of the rest of you change colour like that?' he asked curiously.

'Only one but her hair turns blue' Lucy told him, watching through her rifle sight as Rebecca took a step back and let the other being that shared her body and consciousness take charge. Somebody should probably have warned the demon it was a tag-team match, she thought.

After delivering a combination of punches which would have crippled a master-vampire Enyo threw a right cross that sent the demon staggering away, head lolling as if stunned, and before it could recover she launched into a round-house kick that sent it crashing to the earth. 'Is this all that you are?' she quoted sarcastically as she got down on one knee beside it and started relentlessly raining blows down upon it with her right fist, pounding the demon into the mud until it stopped moving. It was far from dead but what passed for a brain within its rocky skull was too rattled around for it to even struggle, let alone fight.

Tens of thousands of eyes fixed upon her Enyo calmly walked over to the weapons Rebecca had put down and retrieved them, holstering her handgun, sheaving her gladius but holding her broadsword up in challenge, the metallic blue of part of the length matching some of the patches on her skin. 'Swear fealty to my clan and you will end this day as vassal, not as a festering corpse dripping blood into the dirt' she declared imperiously. 'The deity you worship will kneel before my mother Illyria and beg for mercy one day' she vowed.

'Kill her' a demon roared and they surged forward as Enyo raised her free hand to show them what a god _truly worthy_ of their fear, awe and devotion could do.

Buffy was watching through binoculars as... whatever the hell it was... became a blur of speed, like she remembered Glory had done only more so if anything, and the lead ranks of the demon army suddenly seemed to become a spray of blood and body parts. 'Oh my God' she said in revulsion at the sight.

'It's "God-Princess" if you want to get the title right' Connor told her as Buffy watched the girl momentarily snap back into focus, standing in front of another of the rock-demons, her gun in her hand barrel pressed into it's eye and demon no doubt very surprised as she pulled the trigger, becoming a blur again as it fell backwards dead, it's brain instantly destroyed.

Hundreds, thousands were relentlessly and ruthlessly cleaved apart by her sword as Enyo moved through the demons who were standing near motionless from her perspective. Whenever she encountered another of the most dangerous foes she dealt with it the same way with her pistol, soon exhausting her ten round magazine and reloading her only spare to kill five more before she started to feel the shell destabilising. Although she could use magicks as her father Berith did to stabilise the inadequate frame that contained her essence, she could only push her use of her arcane powers too far and it might be a mistake to run out of tricks so early in the battle.

Buffy watched the blur leave the bloody turmoil left behind in its wake and become a human form again as the girl ran at better than slayer speed towards the castle, the demons seemingly awestruck and reeling from the assault, unable to fathom what had just occurred. 'And that thing is _definitely_ on our side?' she verified cautiously as it approached.

'Yes but she prefers to be called Rebecca' Connor replied, 'or Enyo' he added.

'So why didn't it kill _all_ of them?' Xander asked, looking at Willow who seemed horrified beyond words at the slaughter she had just witnessed albeit at enough distance that she wasn't prompted to throw up.

'Lacks endurance' Connor explained, 'at least at that speed' he said. 'Her Mother needs to recharge after doing that kind of thing too much as well' he continued. 'She's Illyria, the mother I mean' he explained, the one with the hair that turns blue' he told them.

The girl finally reached the castle but before Buffy could order the gates to be opened she broke into a full sprint and using the momentum to help jump up onto the wall in a single leap scaring the daylights out of the girls stood where she landed and also spraying them with some of the gore that now coated her, the off-colour demon blood dripping onto the stone where she now stood. 'Here' one of the unrattled gunslayers told her offering a cloth from one of the pockets on her jacket.

Enyo wiped her face as clean as she could and approached Buffy and Connor, slayers all around now almost as nervous about her presence as they were the threatening demonic army. Lucy half-smiled as she realised how eerie the likes of Enyo must be to people that didn't deal with demon gods on a regular basis.

'Her eyes are blue' Willow whispered to Buffy. 'Not _human_ blue' she noted, they were crystalline and glacial, unfeeling and cold.

'And her ears are working and her hearing superior to yours' Enyo responded loudly. 'Your hair and eyes and known to go black so you are in no position to criticise _my_ colouration' she added firmly before she did shift colour again, red and blue patches of her exposed skin and her hair becoming more human in appearance. 'Sorry about Enyo, she's not a people person' the girl said. 'I'm Rebecca' she introduced herself, holding out a bloody hand to shake which Buffy took and regretted it as she had to wipe it clean on her top.

Buffy fixed the demon with a look. 'What just happened there?' she asked, it was like someone had thrown a switch and the girl had changed and not just her pigmentation. 'The change I mean.'

'Two distinct individuals sharing one body' the girl explained. 'I'm Rebecca, I'm a slayer, the other one in here is Enyo and she's a demon goddess' she said. 'I know that sounds weird to you but you should experience it from _my_ side' she pointed out reasonably.

'You're possessed?' Willow asked, looking at the girl with uncertainty.

'Yes but depending on perspective I'm either a human possessed by a demon or a demon possessed by a human soul' Rebecca told her with a shrug. 'Please don't try an exorcism spell or some shit like that' she requested. 'Dawn didn't mention there were bigger problems out here than bugs' she said to Connor chidingly. 'I could have borrowed Mom's scythe if I'd known.'

'Dawn portalled out before we saw them' Connor replied apologetically.

'Okay so let me get this straight' Xander spoke up, 'your Mom is Illyria and she's a blue haired chick with her own slayer scythe?' he asked.

'No _Enyo's_ Mother is Illyria' Rebecca patiently explained, '_my_ human Mom has a scythe' she said.

Connor laughed. 'Tell her who your Mom and Dad are' he pleaded.

'Faith Lehane and Wesley Wyndham Pryce' Rebecca told them 'I'm from the future' she explained to the now increasingly wide-eyed Buffy.

Xander looked at the blood drenched "girl" in disbelief. 'I'm not asking anything else because I just don't want to know' he declared.

'Right there with you' Willow agreed wholeheartedly.

'They're rallying' one of the gunslayers called out, prompting everyone to get back to the task at hand.

'That was quick, considering' Rebecca observed. 'We should break them up again before they've sorted themselves out' she advised.

Lucy nodded and switched her headset radio back to transmit. 'Garfield, they're getting their shit together' she said. 'Do us a favour and un-together their shit' she requested.

The helicopter stopped circling and started flying towards the seething sea of demons as they reformed into proper order. Onboard the pilot brought his altitude down to a hundred and fifty feet and prepared for a strafing run at high speed hoping that nothing down there could jump that high.

Garfield had been a military pilot originally and had flown in action with the US Army in the First Gulf War back in 1991. After he left he had found civilian flying tedious as hell and after a spell piloting a damn traffic 'copter for a radio station in San Diego he had been willing to do just about anything which is when he had first been approached by a load of Limey's from something called "The Watchers Council" who needed the occasional services of a pilot who wasn't easily panicked and wouldn't either ask too many questions or be excessively disturbed by the nature of what they did for a living as the Council's Special Operations Team.

The jobs had been intermittent over the years and occasionally very nerve-racking such as when that vampire had jumped aboard when they were trying to bring down a rogue slayer in LA, but despite the failure there his name had remained on the Council Lists so when the newly resurrected version found itself in need of a full-time pilot they had dug his name out of a slightly bomb-damaged rolodex.

'This has got to be the weirdest fucking way to earn a buck' Garfield muttered to himself as he squeezed the firing button on top of the helicopter joystick and the two six-barrelled miniguns mounted on pylons next to rocket pods on the side of the helicopter erupted with a stream of bullets that cut through the demon ranks as he flew over them.

The pilot howling an improvised warcry that nobody could had possibly heard over the sound of the helicopter engines and the twin miniguns firing at four-thousand rounds per minute, the Bell 214 hurtled over the demons cutting two parallel lines of mayhem through their ranks in a single pass that lasted a mere ten seconds but which probably seemed like a terrifying eternity to anything directly in its path. The demons were packed together too tightly to scatter and with every fifth round a green tracer it almost looked like the terrifying mechanical apparition was cutting into them with beams of energy rather than tiny pieces of copper-jacketed lead.

Garfield pulled away from his first pass and gained altitude to turn in a graceful loop through the sky.

Down on the ground one of the demons looked up at the thing in dismay and cried out in the series of rapid clicks that were its own language. 'It's coming back!' it moaned as the machine swooped down for another pass.

Garfield had started with two thousand rounds per gun, that meant three ten second bursts before his miniguns ran dry and he wanted to save the last one in case he had to cover a withdrawal. He still had one more strafing run to do and then he'd do his best to tag a few of the easily spotted big red demons with his limited supply of unguided 70mm rockets, seven of which were in each of the two pods he was carrying. They were the same type he had used in the Army, in fact they had US Army markings so he doubted that arms dealer guy Emil had obtained them by means that were in anyway legitimate, but at least he was familiar with them.

Up on the castle walls cheering began as the helicopter started firing rockets into the demons, the smoke trails of he fast-moving weapons ending in a huge explosion as the ten pounds of high-explosives in their warheads detonated. One of the rock demons was hit full on by a rocket in a feat of accuracy that was in reality more luck than anything else was blown to fragments which tore through the bodies of the other demons near it including one of its own granite skinned brethren.

'Garfield says to consider their shit un-together' Lucy announced with a grin as the helicopter pulled back away to start circling again in case he was needed.

'Hopefully they'll lose order and charge out of frustration' Rebecca remarked thoughtfully.

'You _want _them to attack us?' Buffy exclaimed.

'Yes as an unruly mob not an Army' Rebecca replied, 'the less organised they are the more change we have to win' she explained. 'If they're an undisciplined rabble Mother will be able to beat them despite the odds' she said.

'Organisation and good tactics trumps ferocity and chaos every time' Lucy agreed. She learned that in Pylea where the gunslayers regularly defeated forces many times more numerous than their own by fighting as a collective to a plan rather than as individuals with a vague idea of what the objective was.

'They're coming!' Willow cried out.

'Fucking A' one of the gunslayers said enthusiastically, her mood not shared by too many others. 'And I didn't even hear them breathing hard' she joked.

'Gunslayers, time to earn your pay' Lucy bellowed. 'Hit them at five-hundred metres and keep hitting them right up to the wall' she ordered. 'When they're at less than two hundred put some grenades into them to break up the lines, we want them ragged and messy' she said, raising her own rifle and chambering a round. 'Couldn't wish for a better firing position' she said happily, taking aim.

'What makes the grass grow?' Rebecca hollered.

'Blood, blood, blood' Lucy and the other gunslayers responded, almost instinctually.

'I'm getting nostalgic' Rebecca declared, 'this is almost like the Dimension Wars, only with less bugs' she said brightly.

'_Less_ bugs?' Xander repeated doubtfully.

'If you think this is bad wait until you see what the future holds' Rebecca told him. 'Fighting a million or so Turok'Han, now _that_ is my idea of a decent battle not a skirmish like this' she said, starting to clean off her bloody sword as best she could. She'd need it when the demons got over the walls.

Without warning Lucy started firing, other girls joining in as they fired aimed single shots into the onrushing horde. A single round wouldn't usually kill one of the insectoid demons outright unless you hit a vital organ, but it would cause a severe enough wound that it would probably bleed out and collapse before it reached the wall. As they got closer the gunslayers would start firing short bursts that would bring down one of the demons immediately but that was wasteful of ammunition.

'I don't like guns' Willow said, putting her fingers in her ears.

'My dad always said, live by the sword die by the sword", Rebecca quoted, 'Live by the _gun_, _shoot_ the guy with the sword, go home and order pizza' she finished relaying the ageless wisdom of the Wyndham-Pryces.

'I don't know, it's not really being what a slayer is meant to be' Buffy observed, watching demons being shot down, 'there's something lacking' she declared.

'Friendly casualties' Rebecca retorted flatly. One day, as an immortal in a near-infinite multiverse, she was bound by the laws of probability to meet a Buffy who could see the big picture but it wasn't today she decided.

The demons kept coming, mindless of the number falling around them from bullet wounds as the handful of girls with assault rifles fired again and again, as they got closer and closer some fell to rounds that had already gone right through the demon in front of them and losses quickly mounted into the hundreds which would have been a bigger deal if the first wave alone wasn't measured in the tens of thousands.

Empty magazines already starting to collect at their feet Buffy couldn't help but be almost transfixed at just how cool and collected the so-called "gunslayers" seemed to be. Even as their firing rate increased they still methodically lined up each shot, fired and shifted to the next target in a near mechanical routine that was more science than the art she expected of a slayer. It lacked passion, humanity somehow she thought, it was too clinical, too much like cold-blooded murder and not enough like the "warrior of the people" archetype she attributed to slayers she decided, how had they ended up like this, she wondered? If my girls had been through the same circumstances would they be any different?

'Oh for a dozen water-cooled heavy-machineguns and a few million rounds of ammo' Lucy muttered to herself as she finished another thirty rounds and ejected the empty magazine. The demons were getting closer and closer all the time and there were a couple of orders of magnitude too many of them to fight with swords, axes and bayonets. She raised her rifle and triggered the grenade launcher, the forty-millimetre grenade thumping off into the distance and landing slap bang in the centre of a lead group of perhaps ten demons, blowing one apart and wounding and scattering the others. She reloaded both her rifle and her grenade launcher then resumed firing, in short bursts now, when they reached the walls she would be holding down the trigger and hosing the barrel left and right like a character in a bad action movie, slayer strength made it possible to do that in real life, she could handle the recoil easily, but the guns in those film didn't seem to need reloading which hers of course did.

More grenades exploded as the gunslayers started using up their supplies. When the demons got within accurate crossbow range Xander told his own slayers to start firing and the invaders started to fall as a result of steel bolts as well as lead bullets. The rate of fire was too low to help much but the more that didn't make the wall the better.

'Might be time for that spell Will' Buffy told her friend earnestly as the demons got within a few dozen yards of the castle. Willow had been clearing her mind, preparing for this and spread her arms to chant in Latin, it wasn't exactly good Latin but she made up for her deficiencies in that area with sheer mystical wattage.

'Cease Fire' Xander bellowed as Willow did her thing, the bullets and bolts might ricochet back on them or something and that would suck, he decided.

'Protect' Willow commanded, casting the spell, a translucent supernatural barrier forming right around the castle only a few yards away from the base of the wall. The first few demons moving at top speed trying to avoid the defensive fire as best they could crashed right into it and bounced off.

'Way to go Willow!' Xander exclaimed.

'Hey this is easy' Willow said modestly, '_teleportation_ is hard' she said.

Rebecca sighed. 'You should do it the way I do' she said sadly, actually even that wouldn't be a problem for the witch, she could fly.

More and more demons started to mass at the barrier. 'When that goes down we are in _monumentally_ deep shit' Connor noted gloomily.

Buffy frowned. 'I was going to say earlier but is all the swearing strictly necessary?' she asked. 'I mean I know we're in life threatening danger but a potty mouth is never cool' she said.

Lucy looked at her nonplussed. 'Foresooth I spy a multitude of bugs in hither glen' she said eventually.

Rebecca decided to play along. 'Aye tis so' she replied. 'Verily thou art keen of eye' she declared. 'Howst canst we bring our foe to righteous defeat?' she asked.

'With a stout heart, a strong arm, sharp steel and a noble countenance' Lucy told her.

'Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit' Buffy told them, for his part Xander was trying not to laugh, it was probably the adrenaline he decided.

'What are they doing out there?' a slayer queried, pointing out beyond the barrier where a number of the demons seemed to be doing something with the bodies of their own fallen.

'Blood magicks' Rebecca said with certainty. 'They're about to start beating on our door' she said, 'brace yourself, they're good at this' she advised Willow.

'I'm going to check the ammo situation' Lucy announced. 'I mean, I beg to excuse me from your side Milady but I need to verify our stocks of powder and shot before the next onslaught of our vile foe' she announced.

'If I promise not to mention the swearing again will you stop talking like that?' Buffy asked, demons she could deal with, mockery grated.

'Fuck yeah' Lucy agreed, turning and heading down the line to check with the other gunslayers.

'For the record our Buffy doesn't approve of the way they talk either, she gives them more leeway to talk like teamsters because it's part of their unit identity' Rebecca explained, 'like taking teeth and claws as battle trophies, drinking too much and killing people.'

'_People_, people?' Buffy asked aghast.

'_Bad_, people, people' Connor told him.

'Are you from the evil mirror universe or what?' Xander asked them pointedly. 'Did you shave off your goatee?' he asked rhetorically.

Neither Connor nor Rebecca had any idea what he was talking about so they ignored him. 'Okay so what's that thing?' Willow asked as a tiny radio-controlled aircraft buzzed past the castle then started flying over the demons.

'Aerial reconnaissance' Connor replied with relief, 'or if we're really lucky...'

The sound of whistling through the air finished with an explosion hundreds of yards away from the demons threw up hundreds of pounds of dirt which fell to earth. Seconds later another explosion landed at the edge of one of the blocks of demons that hadn't yet joined in the assault on the castle.

The third shot landed right in the middle of them.

'... artillery spotting' Connor finished his sentence as explosions started to rain down all over the demon army.

'Mortar fire' Rebecca explained, 'high explosives and white phosphorus' she announced. 'And a few fireball cluster spells contained in techno-mystical mortar-bomb casings' she added as one of the explosions seemed to generate a number of glowing red spheres that headed for the most powerful demons in the vicinity, crashing into the rock demons and knocking them flying even if they lacked the power to kill one.

'I've got Buffy on the radio' Lucy called out. '_Our_ Buffy' she added redundantly, 'we've got... Christ... we've got _twelve hundred_ slayers getting ready to launch a counter-attack from the moorland to the East.'

'Which makes them outnumbered at least seventy-five to one out there' this dimensions Buffy pointed out reasonably.

'The Chief is letting Illyria command the battle' Lucy added, she was willing to bet _that_ decision was taken with great reluctance.

'Outnumbered seventy-five to one?' Rebecca repeated. 'Mother in charge?' she continued, 'piece of cake' she said confidently as explosions continued to drop all over the demon army.

'You're kidding?' Xander responded. 'Is she that good?' he asked.

Rebecca smiled. 'Let me put it this way' she said, 'have you ever heard of Caesar, Napoleon, your namesake Alexander the Great?' she asked.

'Yeah' Xander confirmed quizzically.

Rebecca grinned. 'Morons' she told him.

* * *

_**Note from the author:**_

_Very large scale battle next chapter, lots of swords, spears, fire, teeth, claws and assorted violence..._

_... and I'll throw in a few laughs as always ;-)_

_This fanfic runs on reviews, if it ran on oil I would have been forced to replace it with a smaller more fuel efficient fanfic :-p_


	3. Chapter 3

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 8 COMICS**

**CHAPTER THREE**

**Scotland – Alternate Earth AE2005-0004-B (Pathfinder Index Code) – July 2005**

The rock-like demon watched in disgust as its feeble allies panicked, scurrying around like scared infant hellspawn as the human weapons crashed in amongst them, fire and explosions causing chaos and disruption in the now ill-disciplined ranks that far exceeded the effect of the actual casualties caused. It was perhaps to be unexpected, he thought, they came from a far less harsh world that the relative handful of towering red demons that strode amongst them, but nonetheless their cowardly behaviour was pitiful almost to the point of being craven it decided, heading towards another of its own kind, bursts of shrapnel bouncing harmlessly off its nigh-invulnerable granite hide.

Not all of the insectoid demons had lost their senses however, the group still assaulting the castle, which was now protected by a mystical barrier a human witch allied to the slayers must have raised, were still keeping some semblance or order and those amongst their number with skills at magic were now to be seen using the blood of their own fallen comrades to cast spells which would weaken and eventually crack the barrier allowing the army to swarm over the walls and butcher the enemy within. 'This display is almost shameful' the great demon declared to its brother of the same race, sweeping a powerful arm around to indicate the scene of disarray which had begun so abruptly with the relentless explosions falling from the sky like a steady hail of destruction.

'They will reform in time once they realise that their numbers are so great that even this death toll will be easily absorbed by the whole' the other demon responded calmly. 'Even a loss of tens of thousands would barely impact on our forces arrayed here' it noted. 'Next time we would do well to bring them to our world and experience the volcano fields to harden them to such a scene as this'

'When their leader, the one they call a prophet, came to our world and offered alliance in a crusade made in the name of our old master I hoped his followers would show more fortitude in battle' the first demon observed with obvious distaste for the weakness on display around them. 'It is a shame their own realm is so tranquil it has not hardened them to adversity' he said.

'If we were as vulnerable to fire and explosions as they, would _we_ be as unshaken as we are now?' the other asked rhetorically. Then spotting something appearing at the top of a nearby hill it regarded it with both interest and astonishingly good eyesight. 'Two humans riding small wheeled machines' he pointed out.

'Scouts? Perhaps they are counting our forces?' the first demon suggested. 'I hope they are well skilled at arithmetic' he added with amusement, although shaken the army was still vast in number and relatively unscathed by the proportionally small losses so far incurred.

'Perhaps they mean to fire upon us from there?' the second more thoughtful of the two replied.

'We have already seen their weapons in action' the first demon scoffed. 'The ones they now bombard us with from a distance are clearly inaccurate, and those which were precisely aimed at an individual target, such as we saw fired from the castle walls, ranged only hundreds of paces at best' it continued. 'The summit of that hill is over half a league away' it pointed out.

'You are certain' the other demon asked cautiously.

'Of course' the first stated with utter certainty. 'They couldn't hit a fifteen ton Felderesk at this dist...'

Rika watched with satisfaction through the telescopic sight on her XM-109 as the demon was blown backwards off its feet by the impact and explosion of the 25mm round she had just placed slightly off-centre in its chest. 'How far was that again, I just want to hear you say it?' she asked the girl next to her who was holding a boxy device, itself with a telescopic sight fitted, both dismounted from the All-Terrain Quad-Bikes they had ridden up there, Rika using the saddle of hers to rest her rifle on, steadying her aim.

'Laser rangefinder says two-thousand five-hundred metres' the other gunslayer acting as her spotter told her. 'I guess that makes it official, or it would be if we could tell people about it' she said. 'You just took the world long-distance sniping record' she announced.

'I owe it all to Joachim here' Rika replied happily, patting her drastically oversized rifle.

'Jesus' the girl exclaimed. 'It's still twitching' she said, looking through her telescope at the demon laying sprawled on its back with a small crater in its chest pouring lava-like blood into the soil, it seemed to be convulsing.

'Tough sons of bitches' Rika responded, you could blow a hole through two inches of armour-plate with one of those rounds. 'Find me another worthwhile target, ideally under two klicks, that last one was a lucky shot' she admitted. Her XM-109 had an effective range out to three kilometres but the changes of hitting something at that range was slim, even on a calm day with the wind not interfering with the bullet, or rather cannon-shell trajectory, the flight time at that range was so long the target might have just moved out of the way before it arrived.

'Already looking' the spotter told her.

'So many targets, so little ammunition' Rika said with a sigh. It just wasn't worth it to shoot at the innumerable bugs, Joachim's ammunition was simply too expensive. Oh well, later on she could switch over to her back-up weapon and pot a few demons with .338 Lapua Magnum from up close, maybe fourteen-hundred metres or so.

Just over a full league away from the castle, this being a touch under five kilometres or about three miles depending on which system of measurement was being used, Buffy wondered if she had done the right thing handing over tactical command to Illyria, not least because the God-King had looked minded to embrace her joyfully and was now looking with satisfaction bordering on glee over a huge survey map of the local area unfolded over the hood of one of their Landrover four-wheel-drives. Periodically Illyria looked up and issued a command, which he relayed through Wesley who she had now appointed her "aide-de-camp" as well as her qwa'ha xahn, clearly pleased that girls immediately hurried to obey, before resuming her strategising. Glory was sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle trying to stay out of the mud as much as possible and looking very bored. Occasionally Illyria sent her off on an errand, such as lifting one of the other vehicles out of the soft earth if it got stuck, it was not the sort of thing a god should be expected to do, Glory thought to herself bitterly, extremely demeaning and no use of her abilities.

A small group of girls were repetitively firing the two mortars they had set up, periodically adjusting their aim according to instructions being given by one of the more senior gunslayers who was using a laptop computer of all things to watch a live video feed from the tiny radio controlled aircraft another girl was operating. After an initial rapid fire salvo of perhaps fifty rounds between them in the first two minutes, a little bit of "shock and awe" had been the description Vi had offered, they had now settled down to a steady pace of one mortar bomb each every ten seconds or so. 'We've only got ten cases of Willie-Pete and Two of Cluster-Spells so I want it used sparingly' the girl in charge of the mortars, Buffy thought her name was Denise, ordered. 'And keep checking the temperature on those tubes we don't want a round cooking off in there' she added seriously.

Illyria looked up again from her map. 'Instruct Kennedy and the forces she has arrived with from Cleveland to help distribute spears to the European Slayers under the command of Molly' she ordered. 'They are standing idle' she complained.

'Yes Ma'am' a girl responded and started running to carry out the order with a little more alacrity and a lot more willingness than Buffy would have liked. It probably showed on her face because Xander noticed immediately and walked over. 'You did the right thing Buffy' he told her, guessing the reason she looked so troubled. 'Who else have we got that actually seems _happy_ about being outnumbered better than fifty to one' he added.

Buffy frowned and redirected her gaze from Illyria to Xander, he was wearing combat gear much like that of Vi and her hundred and fifty or so gunslayers who were already dashing around like they had a notion what to do unlike the majority of the girls who were just waiting for orders, being issued equipment or checking what they already had. 'I'm worried Xander' she admitted. 'We could lose hundreds of people today, maybe _everyone_ and it's not even _our_ world' she reminded him then paused. 'And what if she does really well?' she asked more quietly so nobody else could hear, 'What if the girls decide they want Illyria in charge because they see she's genuinely the kick-ass General that she always says she is?'

'Never going to happen' Xander told her then looked awkward. 'You know the majority of the girls _already_ think that Vi is a better field-commander than you are anyway and they weren't calling for her to take your job' he said.

'Vi?' Buffy repeated, eyes widening.

'Yeah' Xander affirmed. 'To be honest in terms of raw leadership ability you're probably considered worse than Kennedy too' he told her apologetically. 'I mean you've got a lot of respect, the girls look up to you as a slayer and you get major kudos for saving the world so many times, but if anything stepping back and letting the Blue Meanie take field command will probably improve your image' he said. 'There's a school of thought that either you don't know your limitations or that you're too much of an egomaniac or a control freak to delegate jobs to people that you know can probably do them better than you.'

'_I'm_ an egomaniac control-freak?' Buffy exclaimed.

'Well less people will think so now anyway' Xander told her with a smile. 'We've all got something to bring to the team, some way to contribute that others can't' he said. 'You _do_ inspire the other girls, they look up to you, but if you wanted a spell cast you'd get Willow to do it, if you wanted a window frame repaired you ask me' he continued, his smile broadening 'and if you want to win a battle...'

'Delegate to the nearest God-King with an unhealthy interest in violence and a résumé full of wars of conquest' Buffy finished his sentence. 'I know that's why I did it' she said. 'I'm just not comfortable about it' she told him glumly.

'Instruct my troops I want no prisoners taken' Illyria said loudly. 'This will be a battle of annihilation' she declared in her most authoritative tones.

'Less comfortable all the time' Buffy told Xander, looking around at the huge number of people now building up. 'Think Willow is giving Amy and Lara a pep talk?' she asked, indicating the three witches who were involved in a apparently animated discussion nearby.

'Lara might be getting a pep-talk, Amy is probably being told... well to do as she's told' Xander replied. 'Spike's here' he noted reluctantly. 'He came along the LA crowd Illyria portalled here, I heard him arguing with Angel a few minutes ago' he said. 'Something about Angel talking more than his fair share of grenades and Angel saying he was a better shot which is when Spike told him that if he was a better shot he wouldn't need so many goes' he said, 'then for some reason they started arguing about cavemen and astronauts' he added still confused by that one.

'Want to take a walk?' Buffy asked.

'Show your face to the troops?' Xander asked knowingly, 'remind them who the real boss is?'

'Something like that' Buffy replied.

'Lead on your Supreme Buffyness' Xander told her, taking an ornate sweeping bow.

'Try and get that title to catch on' Buffy told him as they started walking, or rather trudging across the moorland, 'it's better than Ma'am and "Slayer-Chef" is wearing thin these days' she told him.

Using captured portal orbs, modified by some techno-mystical wizardry courtesy of Fred and Knox, getting everyone here had gone much swifter and easier than Buffy had imagined possible. Large contingents of slayers from the main regional headquarters like London, Cleveland and Guangzhou had arrived already to bolster those from Shadow Valley and Los Angeles and now supplies of weapons and ammunition were being delivered apace thanks to a portal orb being run on their stockpile of Dawns blood, her regular donations now built up to a sizable amount considering it only two an occasional couple of drops to keep it powered. As Buffy stopped to watch with interest she saw a crate sail out through a vortex hanging in the air only to be caught by a girl stood ready to receive it and being passed on to another girl, several of them forming a chain the last stacking the containers neatly on a canvas sheet laid out on a flat and reasonably dry area of moor.

'They sent through the armour and the spears first' Xander told her, indicating where they were being distributed, girls putting on the unfamiliar short-sleeved chainmail vests which the gunslayers had pioneered in Pylea. 'We don't have enough for everyone unfortunately but a few of the girls have got dragon-leather jackets which are almost as difficult to cut' he said.

'We should have made sure the girls had more practice fighting in a spear line' Buffy decided, watching a few of the slayers receive the weapons.

'Hey they all get training after how well it worked fighting the Turok-Han' Xander countered, 'it's just not something they get to do much normally' he admitted. 'They're a great design though' he declared.

'And you're not just saying that because you designed them?' Buffy asked.

'Hey, I recognise genius' Xander countered, 'I'm just honest enough to recognise it in myself too' he said with a grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes over-dramatically at Xanders lack of humility. In fact they _were_ a clever design, each one was an inch thick solid steel pole well six feet in length that could be used as a heavy quarterstaff on its own or could have a wooden or vicious serrated edged spear-point screwed into the end. They were even made so you could even screw two or three together to make a long pike if necessary, like they used in the hellmouth to fend off the uber-vamps. 'Think they'll be okay?' she asked.

'Hey all they need to do is stand in a line and stab anything in front of them right?' Xander responded.

'It's the number of things in front of them that's the problem Xander' Buffy reminded him.

'Well at least they'll be getting plenty of the practice they haven't had much of until now' Xander remarked, always one to look on the bright side.

A gunslayer ran up to Buffy and saluted. 'Illyria requests your presence and that of the other senior officers immediately Slayer-Chef' she said. 'I think she's got a plan' the girl added.

'If it involves invading Poland at some point don't be too surprised' Xander joked. 'So am I a "Senior Officer" then?' he asked the girl.

'No' the gunslayer replied flatly, 'I'm to fetch Faith, Kennedy, Molly, Chao-Ahn, Vi, Amanda, Rona and the Chief here' she said.

'Outranked by the newbies' Xander said sadly. 'Nobody gives the Xand man the respect he deserves' he said.

'I believe Illyria was going to put you in charge of the personnel with grenade launchers Sir' the gunslayer told him, 'you will be instructed as to your role in providing fire support in due course' she added professionally.

'_All_ the personnel with grenade launchers, because that puts me in charge of Angel and Spike too' Xander realised.

'Yes Sir' the girl confirmed.

'Starting to _love_ the new management' Xander declared gleefully, bossing those two was a sweet prospect not least because they'd hate it. 'Um... no offence there Buff' he told his friend realising what he'd said.

'None taken' Buffy replied, glaring at him.

Back at the castle the indigenous Scooby-Gang as opposed to the interlopers from an alternate reality were starting to get nervous because Willow wasn't going to be able to hold the barrier up that was keeping the bugs from munching on their flesh too much longer. 'I can feel them pushing against me' she said. 'It's like waves breaking against me.'

'Blood magicks' Rebecca stated, pointing out beyond the barrier. 'They're using their own fallen warriors we killed' she said, indicating a group of demons seemingly arranging the flesh and blood of their own fallen comrades into intricate patterns.

'That's pretty sick' Xander observed.

'The bugs believe their flesh belongs to the "Great Devourer" anyway' Rebecca noted, 'if we hadn't killed them some would have volunteered to be dismembered by their friends so they could cast the spell' she continued. 'They can be the most fanatical fuckers you'll ever meet.'

'Well at least they're not _fearless_, fanatical fuckers' Xander responded, indicating the large number further away from the castle that were still clearly rendered distraught by the continuing mortar fire that landed amongst them.

'Some of them are starting to get back into order though' Connor pointed out.

'So where's all these slayers that are supposed to be coming to save us?' a girl called out accusingly.

'It takes time to organise and carry out a counter-attack, if they do it wrong we'll _all_ die' Rebecca responded. 'This isn't a fight with a few vamps in an alley' she said, 'this is a _battle_, order and preparation count' she said.

'It won't count for much if we're all dead before your friends arrive' Buffy retorted.

Rebecca frowned and then her appearance morphed back into Enyo. 'Willow you need more power to keep the barrier stable' she said. 'You can drain mine until I tell you to stop' Enyo told the witch, 'stop immediately or else the shell will critically destabilise and if that occurs the demons will not be a problem because this whole area will become a smoking crater' she said.

Willow reached out a hand towards the demon, or whatever it was because she still wasn't too sure. She had taken mystical energy from others before, from Kennedy, Buffy and Giles so she knew the routine but she rightly suspected that this was going to feel... 'Oh my Goddess' she cried out as a ribbon of energy connected them and her eyes suddenly turned bright red like Enyo's.

'God-Princess' Enyo corrected the witch, she could feel as well as see her energy being drained, and it hurt like hell, but she wasn't about to let that show on her face.

'Too weird' Xander commented looking at Willows now matching hair and eye-colour.

'It is a good thing that my father Berith is not here because looking like that he would likely wish to make her his mate' Enyo observed thoughtfully. 'I am _not_ seeking yet another parent' she added honestly.

'You okay Will?' Buffy asked.

'This feels so weird' Willow responded, 'it's like dark magicks and demon energy and slayer all rolled into one' she said. 'And the world looks so freaky' she added. 'The recharge is working though' she continued, 'barrier nice and stabilised so they aren't getting in anytime soon.'

'When Enyo is out of juice could you... run on slayers for a while' Buffy asked.

'Better not if you want to be able to fight those things' Willow replied. 'Wait, you can use a scythe right?' she asked Enyo.

'Yes' Enyo confirmed. 'It works through both the shell and the shell's soul being that of a slayer counteracting the scythes objection to my demonic nature.'

'Buffy give her your scythe, I just had an idea how to get some more power without making you too weak to fight' Willow declared.

'Give her my scythe?' Buffy asked doubtfully.

'The scythe is connected to all slayers, we know it can act as a power-conduit to give or_ take_ their energy' Willow said,' I can use it to pull a tiny amount of power from every slayer in the world and right now there are_ thousands_ of them' she said. 'Enyo is my link into that, it wouldn't work otherwise, she's a slayer _and_ she's built tough enough to channel all that energy, she's the resister in the circuit' she explained.

'Won't that drain us though' Buffy asked, indicating all the slayers around her on the castle walls.

'It's spreading the load over so many of you it won't matter, you'll just be a fraction of a percentage weaker each' Willow told her. 'Collectively it'll represent a massive amount of power, I can hold the barrier up for ages' she claimed confidently.

'If you're both sure about this' Buffy said doubtfully, handing her scythe to Enyo.

'I'd better tell them all in advance' Willow decided, connecting herself to the scythe via Enyo. '_Hi girls, this is Willow and I need a favour_' she began, telepathically linking to every slayer on Earth simultaneously, including those newly arrived from a parallel world. '_Are you ready to be a tiny bit less strong?_' she asked.

Out on the moor well over a thousand heavily-armed slayers, most formed up into a double line five-hundred girls across, instantly stopped whatever it was they were doing and all of them turned back to look towards Willow Rosenberg, who was stood with Buffy behind the lines, it was _very_ intimidating and she had absolutely no idea why they all did it. 'What?' she asked nervously.

'Must have been the other one' a girl suggested.

'What?' Willow asked again.

'The other Willow just spoke to all of us, the slayers I mean' Buffy explained. Both she and Faith had been assigned fifty girls each, half of them armed with scythes, if the line broke they had to plug the gap immediately. 'I think she took some energy because she said "Are you ready to be a tiny bit less strong" and I do I feel a little light-headed' she said.

'Denise get those fucking mortars firing again' Ashton bellowed, he had been walking along the line making sure the girls knew what they were doing and had been equally mystified why they all suddenly went strange.

'Oh right yeah, you heard Silent Bob' the girl responded. 'Illyria says she wants us to pound their left and right flanks so we'll do it' she ordered.

'But there's more of them in the middle, they're bunched up' one of the mortar crew replied. 'It doesn't make any sense, we could kill more of them easy.'

'Smurfette's got a plan that's all I know' Denise replied, 'and that's all you _need_ to know so start hitting them' she said sternly.

Illyria took a final look at the map and nodded with satisfaction. 'Is the army ready to advance?' she asked Wesley.

'As ready as it's going to be I guess' Wesley replied. 'Are you certain about this?' he asked. 'It's tactically very... ambitious' he told her.

'In difficult and hopeless situations the boldest plans are the safest' Illyria told him. 'Given the disparity in numbers this offers the best chance of a decisive victory with minimal losses' she said.

'Assuming it works' Wesley replied. 'We are _seriously_ outnumbered' he said.

'On this ground, with our superior weaponry and troops we will triumph as long as they reform and concentrate their forces for a hammer blow at the centre of our line as they will almost certainty do' Illyria told him. 'Their over-confidence in the value of superior numbers will prove their undoing' she said. 'Their command and control will already be too disrupted to undertake proper tactical manoeuvres even if they thought them required' she added. 'They are a mob, we are not and that is why we will emerge victorious and bathed in blood and glory' she declared. 'Like the mercenary Perkovic with your superior marksmanship you and your rifle would be best placed with the gunslayer skirmish line ahead of the main force, join them' she ordered before lowering her voice. 'I would kiss you good luck but it would not look good in front of the troops' she told him. 'Report back to me after the battle, I will likely be very aroused and wanting sex' she added.

Wesley looked at her and blinked. 'I really do need to start getting into healthier relationships with women' he replied after a pause before turning to leave.

'Glory, are you awake?' Illyria asked.

'Awake enough to hear you getting all enthusiastic about letting that scruffy mortal into your pants' Glory replied. 'What do you want?' she asked.

Illyria walked around the four-wheel-drive and reached into the back, her hand emerging with one of her identical enchanted broadswords. 'You will take this weapon and head to the centre of the front line' the God-King told the Hell-God. 'Your task is to ensure the centre does not break and to assist in dealing with any of the larger demons who the slayers are too weak to handle themselves' she said. 'Perform the task well and I will no longer expect you to carry out menial chores and allow you even greater leeway to address me with disrespect without sanction than I do now.'

'I want a bigger clothes allowance and more vacation time too' Glory responded.

Illyria narrowed her eyes at the other demonic deity. 'Agreed but do not push your luck any further by asking for any more' she replied.

'Got what I want' Glory said happily, 'for now anyway' she added. 'Hand over the sword and I'll get to it then.'

'Do not return it unless it is clean and polished' Illyria told her, 'and before you comment proper care of weaponry is _not_ a menial task, I always clean and maintain my own as a warrior should' she said.

Glory shrugged. 'Those bugs had better not be too icky and if their blood stains this blouse...'

'Do not test my patience Glorificus' Illyria told her sternly, handing over the sword.

'Just practicing my new freedom of speech' Glory replied sweetly.

'In my day vassal deities knew their place' Illyria called after her as Glory headed for her position on the line, sword resting on her shoulder and with a definite bounce in her step.

Back at the castle Buffy had been looking out puzzled as the explosions seemed not to be as well placed as before, they were less frequent too which she supposed was due to a shortage of ammunition after hundreds of the things had landed. 'They're reforming back into groups she said.

'Disorderly mobs, not units' Enyo told her. 'When they first arrived they were in proper battle formation, now those are fragmented and their officers are trying to get them back into proper order' she said. 'Look for the ones that seem to be directing the others again now the mortars are not hitting the central mass of their troops, they are likely figures of authority trying to re-establish the chain of command' she said. 'They will be more easily spotted soon' she added.

'How?' Buffy asked.

'Look for the ones falling over first when our sharpshooters advancing slightly ahead of the main force get into range' Enyo advised.

'Ah' Buffy replied, nodding her understanding.

Kennedy had not expected to be fighting a major battle when she got up that morning, if she had she might have joined Stephen in that artery-clogging greasy abomination he called a "Full English Breakfast" because she was now starting to get hungry. Her Cleveland slayers were on the far left of the line with Amanda and Rona commanding the Shadow Valley girls, then Chao-Ahn and her slayers from the Asian headquarters and Molly and the girls from Europe on the far right. "The thin red line" Stephen had called it walking just behind the two ranks of girls chatting to them as they went. He had insisted on coming along, hopefully the Limey twit wasn't going to get himself killed Kennedy thought, testing the weight of her spear again.

'So all we have to do is stand there and like stab them' a girl asked.

'That's it' Kennedy confirmed, 'no fancy martial arts, just poke them with the spear, I mean hard enough to drive it in then pull it back out' she said.

'Over and over again' the girl queried.

'When you killed the first one kill the one that takes its place' Kennedy told her. 'And so on' she added.

'Sounds kinda monotonous' the girl opined.

'Yeah well it would be' Kennedy agreed, 'but the fact they're trying to get close enough to claw your guts out, or rip your throat out with their teeth, means you won't get bored too quickly' she said.

'Why don't we just do it old-school? Get in amongst them?' the girl queried.

'Because we want to live and if we tried that against this many demons we _wouldn't_' Kennedy patiently explained. 'If we fight as a solid line they _have_ to fight us one at a time' she said. 'If we were all mixed up they wouldn't politely wait to take their turn' she told the other slayer. 'They aren't that civilised... or stupid.'

'Just remember that the girl to your left and right is depending on you' Kennedy said loudly so as many could hear as possible. 'If _you_ run _they_ die' she declared. 'And if I catch you later on then you die too because I'll kill you myself' she growled.

'Is it true that the gunslayers will shoot us if we run though?' a girl asked nervously.

'I'm surprised some of them don't shoot us right now for sport so I'll give that a big yes' Kennedy replied. 'Now have you all remembered to load your shotguns?' she asked.

'Which is the dangerous end again?' a girl retorted, earning some laughter.

'That would be the end I shove up your ass' Kennedy replied. 'No lubricant, not even gun-oil' she added.

'I think we still need to work on your people skills Kennedy' Stephen told her.

'Have you got a power-bar?' Kennedy asked. 'You know I get cranky when I'm hungry' she reminded him as they neared the top of the low rise.

'I think we'd all benefit from you staying cranky' Stephen replied as they found themselves finally able to see the demon army. 'May I be the first to say, fucking hell that's a lot of demons' he declared looking at tens of thousands of demonic insects, a disturbing percentage of which seem to now be looking in their direction.

Andrew looked from the demons to the castle then back again. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity he decided, taking a deep breath.

'Andrew if I hear one word about Rohirrim, or riding for ruin I'm going to smack you around the side of the head' Spike told him.

'But...' Andrew began to protest.

'If you want to hang with the cool kids you've got to act cool' Xander told him. 'Hang-on if you knew Andrew was going to say that it means you were thinking it too' he realised.

'I've seen the films' Spike told him, 'bloody great' he said.

'And coincidently they're missing from my DVD collection' Angel noted.

'No that was me' Gunn admitted, 'Ann hadn't seen them' he said.

'Don't tell me that you _watch films_ when you take that tasty bit up to your room?' Spike asked incredulously. 'My respect for you just went down a notch Chuck.'

Angel smirked. 'Spike seeing as how you're the only guy standing here without a lovelife who are you to criticise' he asked. 'It _was_ just you and Andrew but now...'

'Low blow, even for you' Spike replied scowling.

'So does that mean I'm cooler than Spike now?' Andrew asked brightly.

'Anyone wanting to die _before_ we fight the bugs say yes now' Spike said coldly and with sufficient menace that even Xander and Angel decided to stay quiet.

Just ahead of the main line a hundred gunslayers looked on, a single landrover in the centre of the skirmish line. 'We're going to be killing these fucking things all day' Charlotte complained. 'I knew I should have set the damn TiVo' she added, one of her favourite shows was coming on later. 'Come on Savage let's see the next great leap forward in demon destruction in action.'

'It's _Savidge_' the other gunslayer corrected her in a refined English accent. 'It's not _that_ hard to pronounce even for a colonial lout like you surely?' she asked sarcastically.

'Just get the fucking thing set up' Charlotte told her. 'We're on the clock here.'

'This is my device and I will set it up correctly' the upper-class English slayer declared haughtily.

Buffy watched from a couple of hundred yards away as the girl seemed to be assembling some kind of device from sections she and others had carried there. 'Does anybody know what that thing is?' she asked loudly.

'Heckler and Koch Granatmaschinenwaffe' a gunslayer called back.

'It's a _what_? Buffy asked again, none the wiser.

'It's a big gun' the girl responded, dumbing it down a tad too much.

'I guessed that, can you be more specific' Buffy requested.

'It's a belt-fed forty-millimetre fully-automatic grenade launcher' the gunslayer explained.

'Stand clear' Lady Genevieve Savidge called out pulling back the cocking lever on the oversized tripod-mounted weapon. They had tested the thing in Pylea which is where she had found she was a dab hand with the contraption, apparently her many days of bagging pheasant with daddies old twelve-bore had somehow paid off in an unexpected fashion, she had a hidden talent and that meant the bloody slayers who had forced her into military servitude had let her return to Earth in case a situation such as this one presented itself. 'Right' she said looking through the telescopic sight, I make that nicely within range' she said squeezing the trigger.

With a loud "ka-pung" the grenade launcher fired a single shot which sailed into the distance landing about a kilometre away, a couple of hundred metres short of the demons. 'Blast' she said, correcting her shot and firing again, the second round landing almost there. 'One final adjustment and...' she said raising the trajectory slightly more and then holding down the trigger.

Firing like a machine-gun, launching five grenades every second, a string of explosions rained down in a shallow arc into a closely packed mass of demons as the reluctant gunslayer Genevieve Savidge slowly swung the barrel of the launcher around only releasing the trigger when the last of the 32 round belt of grenades in the box magazine was depleted. 'That _was_ enjoyable' she said, reaching to load the next box.

Buffy ran over to Illyria who was watching with satisfaction. 'When the hell did we get that thing?' she asked. 'And why haven't we got more?' she added.

'Only in the last month I believe and I believe Vi wished to test its effectiveness before requesting additional funding' Illyria replied as the automatic grenade launcher began raining twenty-first century fire and brimstone again. 'My Wesley has told me that those grenades cost eighteen dollars each so it's not the most cost-effective method of dispatching foes' she said. 'Putting it another way that device costs a hundred dollars a second to fire' she noted as the launcher stopped firing again, its second box of ammunition depleted.

'Under no circumstances tell Anya' Buffy instructed. 'So what's the plan here?' she asked.

'Bombard them until they attack us' Illyria replied. 'I doubt they will wish to stand there and get killed in those numbers very long' she said. 'Unlike when they were under mortar fire they can now see their enemy and will attack us instead of scattering.'

'That plan has a fairly obvious drawback' Buffy responded, 'there could be _fifty thousand_ of them!' she pointed out shrilly.

'At least' Illyria agreed, however they are concentrated and should not flank us as they are currently deployed' she said. 'Our mortar fire is acting as a screen and will help channel them towards the centre of our line, as will our supply of belt-fed machine-guns I have carefully positioned to do so' she continued. 'For this to work we _cannot_ be flanked' she stated.

'And then what?' Buffy asked. 'After all those demons come crashing into two lines of girls?'

'Our centre will be pushed back by their overwhelming weight of numbers... and then we'll win' Illyria stated confidently.

Buffy looked Illyria straight in her inhuman blue eyes. 'Are you out of your fucking mind?' she exclaimed.

'Have a little faith' Illyria advised calmly. 'Everything is going exactly according to plan' she said as the automatic grenade launcher started to fire again blasting another bloody channel through the enemy. 'Could have done with a few of those in the Primordium Age' she observed admiringly as a very large number of demons decided en-masse that they weren't just going to stand there and get killed any longer.

* * *

_**Note from the Author:**_

_I wrote the entire battle as one chapter but it seemed very rushed and lacked character interactions so it's now going to run into chapter four. Sorry to anyone hoping for more bloody mayhem this time around._

_Military history buffs may have already guessed what I'm doing here, please don't put spoilers in your public reviews ;-)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 8 COMICS**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**Scotland – Alternate Earth AE2005-0004-B (Pathfinder Index Code) – July 2005**

Vi had taken a position in the centre of the thin skirmish line of gunslayers ahead of the main formation and chambered a round in her assault rifle as the demons finally decided that standing in place getting slaughtered from a distance was not for them. Reluctant gunslayer, though apparently enthusiastic slaughterer Genevieve Savidge continued to lay down fire onto what was rapidly becoming a veritable sea of demons surging their way building from a mere scattered few at first, her automatic grenade launcher causing hideous casualties as it rained high-explosives upon them, but mere hundreds of casualties weren't going to stop the enemy merely increasing the butchers bill and making it a fraction easier to defeat the remainder.

The grenades weren't slowing them what was however was the Scottish moorland itself. The soft ground was not an ideal surface to try running on especially when your legs ended in vicious points not feet that would spread your weight over a larger surface. On rockier terrain the insectoid centaurs could scurry at sprinting speed, Vi had seen them do it, but on this wet cloggy soil they were slowed drastically which meant that the kilometre or so they had to traverse to reach the slayers was a killing ground.

Rifle ready Vi dropped to one knee to steady her aim, the hundred or so similarly armed girls, two mercenaries and a watcher with an unhealthy interest in firearms doing likewise. 'Open fire at eight-hundred metres' she ordered via the headset radio she wore, looking through her telescopic sight at the demon horde.

'_Think we'll get penetration at that range_?' a girl asked over the radio. The hardened exoskeleton of the demon insects gave them natural body armour.

'The rounds are supersonic out that far and more' Vi responded. 'We'll knock them down' she stated confidently. The superior ballistics of their Grendel ammunition meant it hit a lot harder a lot further out than most cartridges, its velocity dropped off more slowly giving better long-range accuracy and effectiveness, ideal for this situation.

'_Janet never gets penetration though_' another girl commented anonymously over the airwaves with a snigger.

'_Ladies please, you're embarrassing me_' Wesley announced as seriously as he could.

'_If that's true Janet come see me after the battle, I'll sort that out for you_' the mercenary Ashton offered magnanimously, himself having taken up position on the rifle line and looking forward to the fun. His colleague and best-friend Perković rolling his eyes in response.

'I hope you mean you've got a few spare magazines of armour-piercing ammo Jay' Vi interjected into the conversation.

'_What else would I mean Ma'am_?' the Ashton asked in mock confusion provoking more sniggering from several girls.

'_Aw he's such an innocent_' the anonymous slayer spoke up again. '_We should corrupt him_' she suggested.

'Okay that's enough of that' Vi ordered loudly, 'leave the poor mercenary be you're making him blush.'

'_No my blood was headed in another direction entirely than my cheeks_' Ashton replied deadpan, '_and talking of blood someone remind me after the fighting to drain a couple of fresh demon corpses to bring some back for my girlfriend_' he requested. '_She says it's tangy_.'

'_Does anyone else think_ _that's kinda sweet and yet somehow really sick at the same time_' another gunslayer queried after a pause to consider what Ashton had said.

'_Me_' the Ashton replied, '_but at least I'm not fooling myself_' he noted.

'_Sanguine sentimentality_' Perković observed.

'_I've never understood_ _how a guy that says so little have such a large vocabulary in so many fucking languages_?' Ashton queried in confusion.

'_It's called reading_' Perković explained.

'_Now you're just making words up'_ Ashton declared. '_I've never even heard of ding let alone re-done it_' he stated to a chorus of groans. '_Ladies and gentlemen, it's the mercenary show with our very special guest star a hundred thousand demon religious fanatics. Yay!_' he declared trying to sound like Kermit the Frog. A Deathwok Demon from Pylea could probably have done the impression more justice, at least visually he thought.

'We need two cantankerous old men to heckle from a balcony on the castle' Vi opined. 'Someone tell Angel and Spike' she continued. 'Angel was supposed to have been turned into a Muppet in a parallel universe anyhow right?' she asked rhetorically.

Wesley grinned at the banter and sighted his own rifle, he knew the humour was a defence mechanism to reduce stress and keep minds off what they were about to do but even when you understood that somehow it still worked and he chuckled as he got his weapon ready. It was damn heavy he decided, not only was it re-chambered to fire a larger cartridge than the original model G-36K, the slayer armaments factory in China had also put on a thicker heavier barrel better suited for withstanding excessive firing or the abuse it might take in the field. Not being possessed of superhuman strength himself Wesley would have preferred a lighter weapon as a rule but in the circumstances he was happy with his choice. If you were shooting at gigantic demon insects you wanted them to fall over when shot a few times, not just get really pissed-off.

Having found a slight rise in the terrain Illyria watched proceedings with satisfaction. 'Order the centre of the spear line to advance forward another two hundred yards' she ordered loudly. 'I want a crescent battle-formation so that they hit the centre first' she said, girls hurrying to obey, passing on the order by radio headset or old-fashioned yelling.

'What the crap is she up to B?' Faith asked Buffy, they both had command of small groups of what Vi would call "Shock Troops" standing ready behind the spear line to plug any gaps which might form.

'Don't ask me,' Buffy replied with a sigh. 'Buffy only pawn in game of life' she quipped.

'Think _she_ knows what she's doing?' Faith queried.

'For once I'm hoping that aura of competence she exudes isn't just unjustified arrogance and a smug expression' Buffy told her with a shrug as the demons finally entered rifle range in force.

Vi squeezed the trigger on her rifle, a single report followed by a hundred more as the other girls in the skirmish line opened fire. The sheer mass of enemies helped, even if you happened to miss the one you were aiming at the bullet had to go _somewhere_ and the chances were fairly high that the "somewhere" was another demon.

As Genevieve Savidge fired off her last few grenades the havoc she was wreaking in the onrushing demons was replaced by the impact of supersonic lead, bullets punching through hardened exoskeletons, shattering the unyielding outer skin and tumbling through the soft flesh underneath causing horrific internal injuries and hydrostatic shock waves that pummelled internal organs. It said much for how tough and determined the demons were that the majority kept going, some making another hundred yards before blood loss bought them down.

Demons fell in droves as they came, others tripping or clambering over the bodies slowing the disorderly advance still further, the longer it took to reach the slayers the more that would fall to gunfire.

On the spear line Leah stood with Molly and the other European girls she commanded 'Christ, its bloody Culloden' the Scottish slayer exclaimed as she realised what was happening.

'What?' Molly replied.

'Ignorant sassanach' Leah muttered. 'Battle of Culloden in 1746' she explained more loudly, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Clans fought against you damn English and got slaughtered' she said. 'You had more cannon and so the Scots got pounded at long range until eventually they tried launching a Highland Charge thinking it was better than just standing there getting killed' she said. 'Total balls-up' she added, shaking her head sadly, 'It was a wet so they got bogged down in the mud, couldn't run and they got shot to pieces by muskets the whole way across the moor' she said. 'By the time they reached the Redcoats most of the Clansmen were dead and the rest were too knackered to fight properly.'

'And_ that's_ why the Blue Meanie had us attack from this direction across this fucking swamp' Molly realised as she moved her feet, her boots squelching in the sodden ground. It would be even worse for the demons, their legs ended in sharp points not flat feet to spread the weight. Normally they could run at a pace that would easily outrun a good track athlete, if not a slayer, but they were barely making up the ground at jogging pace over the moor as rifle-fire felled them in droves.

Illyria watched the rifle-fire deplete the opposition as they came. The overall impact on enemy numbers was small in relative terms, mere hundreds at first though they would accumulate to thousands before the demons reached the slayer lines, but she knew she had to strike a balance. If she had used their most devastating weaponry against the centre of the demon mob, belt-fed machine-guns which would have scythed them down en-masse, then the charge might have been stopped in its tracks and the demons would have scattered. To defeat an enemy so superior in numbers you needed them in one place which meant not showing your hand too early, the machine-guns were positioned to prevent the slayers being outflanked and along with mortar fire they were so far doing their job, the bulk of the demons were still being funnelled right at the centre of the line which is exactly where the God-King needed them to be. If it were a game of chess, mate would be achieved in a few moves and the other player was so far completely oblivious to it and would hopefully stay that way until it was far too late to escape the trap.

On the line itself Kennedy and Stephen with the Cleveland girls watched as the demons fell by the score with each aimed volley, not knowing whether to be more appalled by the casualties or the fact that the others nonetheless continued to charge ignoring the losses. 'Oh my God' a nearby girl said in horror. 'They're not stopping' she moaned, 'the guns aren't stopping them' she continued aghast, 'how are _we_ going to stop them with a few shotguns and _spears_?' she asked in dismay, shaking the pointed metal pole she carried.

'Steady young lady' Stephen told her putting a degree of mild chastisement into his tone. 'We stopped Turok-Han with shotguns and spears and these buggers actually die when they get shot or stabbed' he said, 'not just a touch peevish like those blasted uber-vamps did' he added, trying to now sound confident and assured as well as very British. The girls seemed to expect the latter of him and he tended to play up to it.

'There were a _lot_ less uber-vamps though' Kennedy whispered to him.

'I think we're royally fucked' Stephen agreed just as quietly.

Just behind the spear-line Xander looked over his own troops, twenty or so of them each with a six-shot grenade launcher and a bandolier of spare grenades. Most were slayers who had used them on Pylea but he also had two other humans and a pair of bickering vampires who he had been forced to separate putting Gunn and Andrew between them. 'Alright you know what to do' he said loudly so everyone in his group could hear. 'We drop these things as deep as we can into the opposition where the shrapnel and blast gets to do the most damage in all directions' he said indicating the grenades. 'Once you're out of ammo check where you're most needed and join in there' he said. 'Don't waste your ammunition trying to get into the fight quickly, there's plenty of bugs to go around, make every grenade count.'

'That means remember to aim Spike' Angel spoke up. 'And remember we're firing over the heads of the girls in front lets try not to blow our own people to pieces' he said.

'Hark at the bloke who was born when a smoothbore musket was considered high-tech' Spike retorted. 'I'm better with one of these than you are' he declared.

'Quiet in the ranks' Xander ordered with a definite smirk.

'Who put _you_ in charge anyway?' Spike responded with a snort.

'Her Royal Blueness thanks to my fake but factually accurate memories of being in the United States Army' Xander replied authoritatively. 'Any problems with that you can take up with her' he suggested. 'Of course in battle disobeying an order might earn you a summary execution, so I wouldn't if I was you' he advised. 'Something tells me Illyria favours harsh discipline in her troops.'

Spike blinked and grimaced, like Angel he might be wearing a Gem of Amarra, which was the reason he was out in the sun and not on fire, but he didn't want to test quite how invulnerable it made him _that_ way.

'So what's the chain of command here?' Angel queried, noting Spikes expression with amusement. 'I mean if you're injured who takes charge?' he asked hypothetically.

'The chain of command goes: Me, Gunn, all the girls, then Andrew then you two' Xander replied. 'So don't get ideas about injuring me by accident' he added seriously, you could never really trust those blood-sucking fiends not to revert to form at an inconvenient time soul or not.

'_Andrew_?' Angel exclaimed in dismay. 'He didn't even know how to fire one of these things a few minutes ago' he pointed out.

'Which is why I put the slayers ahead of him' Xander replied. 'No offence intended there Andrew.'

'None taken' Andrew replied with a smile.

'He's loving this' Spike declared bitterly glaring at Xander before unusually looking at Angel for support. 'It's bigotry you know' he continued, 'he discriminates against vampires, doesn't care if you've got a soul or not' he stated bitterly.

'And I'll continue to do that until the Constitution is amended to include _in_human rights' Xander responded.

'Should have sired Martin Luther King, got him to push for equal rights for demons' Spike observed.

'I don't think you could make speeches that good without a soul' Angel opined.

'Damn straight' Gunn agreed. 'I don't think the "I have a nightmare" speech would play so well' he said, 'but on the other hand I dare anyone to tell Illyria that they think people that ain't white are inferior.'

'She might be a racial minority but I don't exactly think you could call her oppressed' Xander commented. 'Well she probably thinks she's being oppressed when we tell her she shouldn't oppress people but I don't think that counts' he reasoned, the others forced to nod their agreement.

Wesley squeezed the trigger on his rifle again and again, his firing rate and those of the others increasing as the demons continued to close making them an easier target. Every thirty rounds he ejected the now empty magazine, loaded a fresh one taken from the ammunition harness he was wearing and resumed his work. Before long, despite their hardened exoskeleton, the demons would be close enough for the bullets to go right through the first one they hit and plough on into the one behind increasing the destructive effect of the rifle-fire on the enemy still further. 'If nothing else you've got to admire their balls' he observed to nobody in particular, his words drowned out by others firing as he reloaded. 'Not sure I could say much for their brains though' he continued as he resumed his task.

The rifle-fire thinned their ranks but they still advanced as Illyria hoped they would, watching from a decent vantage point. Adjusting the crystalline structure of her eyes to act as magnifying lenses the God-King noted that the sharpshooter Rika was still periodically thinning the ranks of the more dangerous rock-demons with her oversized anti-material rifle which was good. Those creatures were far more of an individual threat than the mere slayer-fodder which had launched its undisciplined ragged attack leaving them behind for now. 'Willow' Illyria called out to the witch, 'prepare yourself and your witches for the task I set you' she commanded.

Willow nodded and connected telepathically to both Amy and Lara. The three witches stood behind the spear line hundreds of yards apart. '_We'll hold them back as long as we can but don't push too hard or you'll have nothing left for afterwards_' she told them.

'_She means you newbie_' Amy told Lara. '_We've got a lot more in the tank_ _than you do_' she pointed out less than diplomatically.

'_That's because I've never been anywhere near as evil_' Lara retorted.

'_No need to apologise_' Amy responded, smirking to herself.

'_Don't make me separate you two_' Willow interrupted.

'_You mean from each other or our own skins_?' Amy responded. '_Sorry was that rubbing salt into old flayed wounds_?' she asked sarcastically.

'_You really are a bitch Amy_' Willow told her, her scowl somehow seeming to be carried with her words.

'_Bite me boss_' Amy retorted. '_I wasn't drafted because of my sweet nature_' she reminded Willow.

Stood at the centre of the spear line, her borrowed sword stuck upright in the earth beside her Glory watched the demons fall with complete disinterest for a while and checked her nails again. 'I've got better things to be doing with my time than this' she declared with annoyance. 'This is work for mortals' she opined.

'Can I stand with someone else' the slayer to her right requested.

'Think I make you look even plainer by standing here?' Glory queried.

'No but you make her look a lot more intelligent' Rona spoke up from nearby. 'Could you please just stop whining for one minute' she implored.

Glory picked up her sword and to the immense chagrin of the girl beside her wiped it clean on the slayers dragon-skin jacket. 'If you want to make something of it I'm right here sweethearts' the Hellgod announced.

'I want ten volunteers to help me beat the bottle-blond out of that bitch after we've finished with the bugs' Rona said loudly.

'You'll be tired and I won't be, better bring twenty at least' Glory replied smugly. 'No scythes' she added after thinking about it.

'No hyperspeed' Rona replied.

'Deal' Glory agreed, beating up on slayers gave her a warm glowing sense of satisfaction that eviscerating demons simply couldn't match. 'My clothes are _covered_ in mud' she complained. 'Can we put dry-cleaning on expenses or maybe a replacement outfit?' she asked, looking around for an answer and receiving nothing but glares as a response. 'Peasants' she muttered, starting practice swings with her sword. They should be grateful she condescended to fight alongside them instead of knocking them unconscious, piling them up and using them as a couch.

Empty magazines piled up in front of her and the demons closing fast Vi decided it was time to pull back. They had gunned down thousands but it was a drop less in the ocean of enemies heading down their throats as she gave the order to pull back behind the spearline, the gunslayers, two mercenaries and a watcher firing off the last few rounds in their rifles and turning to run back to the double ranked line of girls with spears.

'They're going to smash through us like we weren't there' Buffy said to herself quietly as the girls gripped their spears tighter and prepared to receive the charging mob.

Illyria gave a signal which several girls had been waiting for as the gunslayers ran back through the line, girls stepping aside to let them through then closing ranks once again.

'Front rank ground spears, kneel and prepare to volley' girls ordered along the line. They had done this against the Turok-han, the rear rank using spears to hold them off while the girl slightly ahead fired her shotgun directly into the enemy at practically point-blank range.

Putting down their spears the first line of girls took their pump-action shotguns and prepared to fire. They were petrified but it had been drummed into them that the best way to stay alive was to do as you were told and stay in line, some put their faith in God, others in their weapon or the girl stood next to them but regardless of individual motivation they faced the demons and they weren't going to run.

'Xander' Illyria called out. 'They are too many, reduce the foe' she ordered.

'You heard the lady' Xander called out, raising his grenade launcher. 'Fire at will' he said firing his first shot, the explosive grenade kicked off on its way with a bang and sailing in an arc over the heads of the slayers ahead landing three hundred yards away perhaps fifty yards into the demon mass and exploding, the blast tearing limb from limb.

It was impossible to miss, no challenge at all really, Angel decided as he began firing his own launcher along with the others. He soon fired off his six shots and was reloading when the first demons came close enough to receive the first shotgun volley.

If the effect of the grenades had been to slow the charge, stripping it of some of its momentum, five hundred plus shotguns firing solid slugs at sixty-yards was like momentarily running into a wall. The twelve-gauge rounds were designed to be used against big game hitting with immense force that almost stopped what they hit right in its tracks, the demon behind it crashing over the fallen body of its comrade ahead. One common description afterwards was that it most resembled a multiple-car pile-up on the freeway as the demons running as fast as they could over the moor crashed into each other.

The second volley struck home, then the third. It was going even better than Illyria had hoped, they would never strike the spearline at speed now, it would hold firm and the real butchery would begin.

Not much above walking pace now, driven by fury, the demons kept coming, receiving more volleys of solid-slugs that cut them down by the hundreds. They screeched, screamed and clicked in their own language as grenades continued to land amongst them and shotguns roared in unison. Using SPAS-12 shotguns, most now copies made in the slayer armaments factory in China, each girl had nine shots, nine volleys to bring down the enemy, thousands of demons fell to make up mere tens of yards before the ninth salvo and the shotguns fell silent.

Illyria couldn't help but smile. 'Willow now!' she yelled.

Willow reached out her hand to cast a spell, Amy and Lara doing likewise. 'Protect' they said in unison, a barrier seemingly of yellow light appearing just ahead of the slayers which the demons ran into, very much like bugs onto the windshield of a slow-moving car.

'Re-load' came the call echoing down the line, girls hurriedly loading their empty shotguns once again as the demons clawed at the mystic barrier.

'Oh Goddess it hurts' Lara moaned. They were trying to hold back the pressure of tens of thousands and the exertion was immense. Pain wracked the bodies of all three witches but she knew she was the least powerful, the less experienced, and probably by far the least dark and masochistic. A drop of blood ran down from her left nostril and onto her lips, she could taste it, fighting back the urge to stop she also had to fight fainting from the agony of putting too much strain on her powers all at once.

'_Suck it up junior_' Amy told her telepathically but tried to take more of the burden herself to relieve the strain a little. '_Can't do this much longer_' she told Willow seriously.

Lara finally collapsed, the entire burden of holding up the barrier immediately transferred to Amy and Willow who could only do so for a few more seconds, Amy screaming as her blood seemed to boil.

'Enough' Willow hissed and dropped the barrier, the demons pressing against surging forward once more as it collapsed only to receive another volley of shotgun fire as a reward.

The slayers kept firing, now almost point-blank into the faces of the enemy, as it crashed into the long spears held by the girls in the second rank, some impaling themselves on the sharp steel as others were gunned down.

Shaking it off Amy ran to the collapsed Lara as the shotgun firing started to die down, girls dropping their again empty shotguns for spears as they finished rounds they had reloaded while the witches gave them time. 'I'll check on her' she told Willow who was frankly surprised that Amy gave a shit, wondering how much of her attitude was only bluster.

After industrial weapons and magicks the fighting was now more like an ancient battle, spears being thrust forward into bodies and pulled out again ready to repeat the process to the next. The longer reach of the spears over teeth and claws gave the slayers a huge advantage as did the double ranked formation but sheer numbers counted for a lot as blood sprayed and corpses drained into the mud. This kind of combat was horrific, bloody slaughter, more akin to a meat grinder than anything else, demons fell, others clambered over them only to be slain as well, joining heaps of the dead and wounded.

Vi and the gunslayers were now using their own grenade launchers, single-shot weapons fitted under the barrels of their rifles, to add to the mayhem, like Xander and his people firing over the spearline hundreds of yards into the mob. The demons were packed in tight, pressing forward getting in each others way, only the ones in front could fight and despite crushing weight of numbers they had neither the organisation nor ability to do anything else.

After a few minutes Illyria decided it was time to spring the trap and ordered the centre of the line to start moving slowly backwards, fighting hard every inch of the way but gradually retreating as if being pushed back. This only made the demons behind redouble their push towards the centre, not noticing that the left and right of the line was still in place.

Watching from the castle it seemed inconceivable to the local slayers that the demons could lose the battle, there were so many and the girls fighting were clearly being pressed too hard to hold much longer. Only one stood there was smiling as she stood there holding a scythe, channelling energy from thousands of slayers to a single witch. 'Beautiful' she said. 'Perfect tactical manoeuvring' she stated.

'They're retreating, getting their asses kicked' Xander responded, watching the battle through a telescope held to his one good eye.

'No they're ambushing an army many times their size on an open battlefield' Enyo replied. 'It's Cannae' she explained.

'It's what?' Buffy queried.

'Battle of Cannae, 216 BC' Enyo explained. 'Hannibal completely out-generalled a far larger Roman Army by suckering them into a situattion where they couldn't use more than a few of their men' she said. 'The slayer spearline starts out as an arc with the centre ahead of the flanks, it slowly retreats with the girls of the left and right staying in place and keeps pulling further and further back until it's a arc again, only now in reverse.'

Buffy thought about that for a while, drawing a picture in her head. 'The demons are being surrounded' she realised.

'Better' Enyo replied. 'They're surrounding _themselves_ so they don't realise what's going on until it's too late' she said. 'There are far more of them but only the ones at the very edge of the group facing the slayers can fight them. The vast majority are just stuck in the middle of that mess unable to do anything but wait their turn to get killed.'

'And you think that'll _work_?' Buffy asked doubtfully.

'They're using the mortar fire and machine-guns to help steer the bugs into the right position, it'll work as long as the bugs attacking the castle here don't intervene from another direction' Enyo told her. 'We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen' she said.

'How?' Buffy asked.

'If it looks like they're going to we'll need Willow to drop the barrier she's holding up and keep them busy trying to take the castle right?' Connor asked.

Enyo looked at him. 'Dad always said you were a lot brighter than people gave you credit for' she told him.

Connor frowned. 'Grow up in a hell dimension and everyone thinks you're a dumb hick' he muttered to himself, aggrieved as ever by that widespread assumption.

Meanwhile down on the battle line away from the temporary calm of the castle Kennedy thrust her spear hard into the exposed throat of a demon and yanking it back out was treated to a jet of arterial blood that sprayed over her before the creature collapsed, twitching and gurgling to the ground. She inwardly cringed but kept fighting, if it wasn't for her slayer stamina her arm would have been burning with the exertion of using the long, heavy spear but she was actually just getting into her stride and thought she could do this for hours, which was good because she was probably going to have to.

To her left a girl stumbled and a demon leaped to set upon her only to be shot repeatedly in the chest by an automatic pistol before it could sink in its claws. Stephen emptied half a clip through it before it succumbed, they were tough bastards all right. 'Janey get off your arse' he yelled at the fallen slayer before firing the rest of his pistol ammunition to cover her as she did. The watcher had been moving back and forth behind the Cleveland girls encouraging them and occasionally using his pistol and long-sword to help in a more direct manner.

'Thanks' the slayer said getting back on her feet and getting back to work.

Stephen ejected his pistol clip and reloaded from another in his pocket. 'They don't just keep me around to watch you know' he told her, making sure she was back in the game before moving on.

Illyria called over Faith and Buffy. 'The line is stable and nearly at the position where I will order the centre to stop retreatinf' she told them when they arrived. 'You are no longer needed to stay in reserve to plug gaps that may form' the God-King told them. 'You will take your squads left and right to swing around and extend the line so that it surrounds the enemy further' she ordered. 'Once that is accomplished Vi will take her gunslayers right around behind them and launch an attack on their rear while I redirect mortar fire to the centre of their group where it will be most devastating.'

'This is really working isn't it?' Buffy replied in mild disbelief.

'If you think this is good you should watch me play _Rome: Total War_' Illyria responded brightly before turning to Faith. 'I know you were planning dinner but I will urgently require Wesley's company tonight after the battle.'

'Might have know this was getting you fucking horny' Faith responded, unable to resist a grin.

'You have no idea' Illyria replied with a shrug, there was no point denying it. 'Now move!' she ordered, Buffy and Faith doing as they were told. They might both have issues with her but they couldn't doubt her ability to do the General thing damn well any more, apparently that really wasn't just her ego talking all that time.

Having used up their grenades Spike and Angel had pitched in on the front line, using swords and taking advantage of their invulnerability to get in close and nasty. A few girls had fallen to wounds, hopefully not fatal, such was the ferocity of the fighting now, and Xander and Gunn were pulling them to safety, their place in the line taken up by the remainder of Xanders team, the girls ditching their grenade-launchers for abandoned spears. 'I miss fighting vampires' Gunn called out to him after checking a girls pulse, she was still breathing and her heart was pumping. She looked like hell with a huge gash on the leg that he bandaged as best he could, but despite the apparent severity of the injury with slayer recuperative powers she could be out dancing next week he knew.

'I miss fixing window frames' Xander called back.

'This is probably the best time of my life' Andrew commented for his part, chambering a round in a pump-action shotgun and firing it into the face of a demon through the gap between two girls. The buckshot turned its features into a bloody mess and it howled in pain before a spear caught it in the side collapsing it.

For her part Glory was talking out a great deal of suppressed rage on anything with more than two legs unfortunate enough to find itself in front of her. Swinging the enchanted broadsword Illyria had given her with one hand and tearing off heads with the other she was single-handedly killing more demons than any ten others on the line. It had reached the point where the demons who had seen what she was capable of were actually trying to stay out her way but the pressing mass of their comrades behind kept pushing them towards the Hellgod and swift, certain death. 'Sometimes I can see why Illyria enjoys the simple pleasures of eternal life like this' she commented, idly swatting a demon away so hard she broke its neck. 'It's cathartic' she decided thoughtfully, 'this crap had better not make my hair go frizzy though' she added as the blood dripped from her blond tresses.

'End game' Enyo declared, still watching with interest from the castle as the reserves led by Faith and Buffy moved around the crescent line to extend the bowl into which the demons had poured themselves ready for the carnage to come.

'I think our guests are thinking about giving up on us and going to help their friends' Buffy observed, looking down at the demons who seemed to be less intent now on trying to use blood magicks and numbers to collapse the mystical shield Willow was generating and more interested in watching the other fight happening some distance away.

'We need to keep them busy fighting us' Enyo stated. 'I hope everyone enjoyed the break' she said to all the girls. 'So I guess it's your call' she told Buffy, 'those girls came here risking their lives to save your ass, are you willing to return the favour?' she asked.

'Nice use of guilt' Xander commented.

'Anything that works' Enyo told him.

Buffy closed her eyes. 'Anyone with any bullets or crossbow bolts left get ready to fire as soon as Willow drops the barrier' she said, opening them again, a determined expression on her face.

'Can I make a suggestion' Connor spoke up.

'What?' Buffy asked.

Connor smiled. 'If you've got really big cockroaches you need really big feet to stomp on them' he suggested.

While one Buffy at the castle prepared to argue about her sister the other one leading a squad of fresh slayers armed with scythes went wading into the fight, adding to the chaos. Shortly afterwards Vi and her gunslayers running at top speed ran completely around the battle and arriving right behind the enemy still trying to push towards the spearline opened up with fully automatic fire into the midst of the enemy causing bloody havoc just as the mortar bombs started dropping incendiary grenades and high-explosives into the heart of the foe.

Still drastically outnumbering the slayers it only took a few minutes for the demons to finally start to break and run, in small numbers at first but soon in a torrent. Their morale was broken, they were disorderly, chaotic and leaderless, they had fallen by the thousands, tens of thousands even, but were no closer to victory and were relentlessly dying by the hundreds more every minute to no gain they thought.

Illyria raised her own sword. There was a time in a battle when a sudden intervention could tip the scales completely and that time had come she knew, raising her hand and becoming a blur as warped time around her and looping the battle as Vi had done slammed into the enemy making sure to stay out of the gunslayers line of fire as she did so.

Much as when Enyo had done it earlier the demons witnessed the horror of hundreds, thousands of their brethren being torn asunder in moments by a merciless, seemingly unstoppable force moving too fast to clearly see let alone fight against. It was the last straw and soon the demons were fleeing in their droves, becoming a tide in broken such as they had been earlier in furious attack.

Vi and the gunslayers repositioned to let them flee unmolested at first the fighting on the spearline soon slackened then ended as the battle became a rout. The helicopter which had been circling at a distance now sweeping in for a strafing run as the pilot Garfield used up his remaining ammunition, helping them on their way he thought, buzzing low over them to keep up the panic even after his machine-guns ran dry.

Buffy might have let them go at that point but Illyria was in charge and as the slayers started cheering their victory the God-King appeared before them. 'I ordered a battle of annihilation' she thundered. 'Chase them down, kill them all' she commanded.

Hundreds of slayers looked at her, unsure what to do.

'Any we leave alive today we have to fight tomorrow' a girl spoke up, dropping her spear and drawing her sword.

'Okay lets do this' another said. 'Chase 'em down and kill them' she agreed.

'Those rock-demon things are heading this way' Kennedy pointed out. 'Guess they don't know when their side is beaten' she said.

'Five girls will attack each one, two with scythes' Illyria ordered. 'Have Buffy, Faith and their forces relieve the castle, they are the freshest troops we have.'

In an ancient battle most casualties were taken in retreat by a broken fleeing army, and the same was true here. Slayers ran down demons and killed thousands more as they fled away from the castle to where they could use portal orbs to escape as many did because they were so numerous the slayers could not possibly catch them all.

Their own morale shaken by the sight of the bulk of their army running away the demons attacking the castle were further shocked at just how hard the native slayers there fought to defend the battlements as the walls were scaled. Morale wavering again it only took one intervention at the right time to tilt the balance and it came in the extremely unexpected form of a fifty-foot tall woman appearing from around the back of the building wearing sneakers sized just right to squish a man-sized insect. Tacitius wrote that "Even the bravest men are frightened by sudden terrors" and as it happens the same can be said of demons, the arrival of the other Buffy Summers and her band of scythe-swinging hellions soon afterwards merely confirmed to Jasmines now less than overwhelmingly loyal and fanatical minions that they had an urgent appointment in another dimension they needed to be at.

Made of sterner stuff but outnumbered the rock demons made the foolish decision to fight as individuals and were in the old phrase collectively conquered as a result. Some had chunks blasted off them by the few remaining grenades, others were mobbed, knocked to the ground by multiple slayers and then scythes and a poor few unfortunates found out that Glory had a mean right cross and that in the big scheme of things they weren't as tough as they thought they were. Amy and Willow for their part found that neither could produce a sufficiently powerful fireball of their own and joined forces, finding they could eventually pummel a rock demon to pieces by hitting it with several simultaneous strikes, basically pounding it to destruction while they used telekinesis to levitate out of reach flying around it. It was almost artistic to watch Andrew decided and he used the camera on his cell-phone to take some pictures.

'They will be more organised and less easily vanquished next time' Illyria commented as with some effort she held the final struggling rock demon in place, arm twisted behind its back, so Kennedy could scythe it.

'I still can't believe we won' Kennedy replied honestly, slamming her scythe blade into the creatures chest and pulling it back out as it almost seemed to half melt into lava.

The two Buffy Summers met each other outside the castle. Soon many slayers would be meeting their doubles from another world and Enyo had mentioned it had been found necessary where she came from to use colour-coded ribbons to make sure you were talking to the right one. In the event different clothes, hairstyles and equipment made it fairly simple in this case if still pretty weird.

'So... I guess, thanks for coming here' the native Buffy began awkwardly. It was hard to know what to say.

'You're welcome... my Dawn said your Dawn was a giant but I didn't believe it' the other Buffy admitted, looking up in wonder as the giant Dawn scraped demon goo off her shoes onto the castle wall in distaste.

'If you think _that's_ strange guess what she'll turn into next' Enyo spoke up. 'Oh for Mother's Sake they're shooting the wounded bugs' she exclaimed in dismay, watching the gunslayers begin to do so.

'It does seem wrong' Willow agreed.

'No shit, bullets cost money they can stab them with a bayonet for free' Enyo complained. 'I'll go stop them' she said, running off to have words.

Both Buffy's shook their heads sadly, demon-girl didn't get it. 'So what now?' they asked simultaneously, looking back towards each other.


	5. Chapter 5

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 8 COMICS**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**Scotland – Alternate Earth AE2005-0004-B (Pathfinder Index Code) – July 2005**

Buffy found herself standing alone in the aftermath of the fighting, whether by accident or design she herself wasn't really sure but nonetheless now stood alone looking over the moor she honestly couldn't say if she was happy or not.

It had been a great victory for certain, one that a part of her simply couldn't accept because it all seemed so utterly improbable given the odds against them. How could they have been so outnumbered and yet have somehow crushed the opposition so thoroughly? Thousands, no she corrected herself, _tens_ of thousands of demons littered the battlefield, the death toll still rising as the wounded were dealt with, some perhaps out of mercy, others by girls obeying orders to take no prisoners and most disturbingly some were probably being killed, no that was too weak a word Buffy decided, they were being _murdered_, for nothing more than sport as survivors were hunted down and dispatched by triumphant whooping slayers.

As the adrenaline wore off, and the reality finally sunk in, girls were reacting in different ways to the carnage around them and the sheer butchery that had gone on. Buffy watched a nearby slayer throwing up either from emotional overload or the sight of the bloodbath surrounding her, others were staring blankly into space and more than a few were now crying, that was at least healthy though the Chief Slayer decided, the girls who were knocking out demon teeth, presumably for trophies, concerned her far more.

'This is a great day Buffy' Illyria declared triumphantly, walking over to her, pausing to idly dispatch a crippled moaning demon along the way with a carefree thrust of her broadsword. Slayers were doing likewise across a large swathe of the moor, some more reluctantly than others.

Buffy directed her gaze onto the blue-haired demon. 'Oh yeah this is like Christmas, Thanksgiving and a Birthday all rolled into one' she responded sardonically.

Illyria smiled. 'An excellent idea' she replied missing the sarcasm. 'We will have the date entered into the diary as a Feast Day from now on' she enthused. 'I have never before defeated so large an army with so few troops' the God-King continued, almost gushing with enthusiasm 'the individual innate warrior skills of the slayers, combined with training, discipline and appropriate weaponry have forged your slayers into a fearsome force to be reckoned with.'

'So they are still _my_ slayers' Buffy responded, looking Illyria in the eyes, something that never stopped being creepy, the slayer wondering if the old adage that the eyes were the window to the soul was more true than people thought, Illyria's glacial eyes were more like a mirror than a window.

'I was only borrowing them' Illyria replied. 'As per our agreement to put them temporarily under by command for the duration of the battle and they are now yours again' she continued. 'Though if I can book them in advance I would like to loan out a few for another retaliatory attack on the bug home world, they must be taught they cannot invade a human world with impunity' she added. 'Next week okay?' she asked.

'Hey boss we don't have to bury this lot do we?' a slayer asked loudly in their direction.

'No' Buffy and Illyria replied simultaneously. 'Sorry, it's hard to let go' Illyria added when Buffy narrowed her eyes at her.

'You know we can't leave them lying here, someone is bound to notice ' Buffy noted.

'We will open portals and simply dump them back in their own dimension' Illyria replied, 'this will both tidy up the moor and act as an means of psychological warfare since the return of so many corpses of clan-mates after a failed invasion will surely result in dismay.'

'That's either a lot of portals or a few kept open for a very long time' Buffy pointed out.

'Blood to power the portal orbs is hardly in short supply' Illyria responded, 'we could also request to draw some of the more powerful fuel available from the version of your sister that exists in this reality' she continued, 'she can probably spare a gallon or two' the God-King suggested, pointing to where a delegation from the castle was coming out to meet them.

Buffy blinked, the fact it took little more than a double-take and a shrug before she was mostly at ease with seeing a dinosaur-sized version of her sister said quite a lot for her life story. 'Dawn put on weight here' she observed.

'At least you are used to her being considerably taller than you already' Illyria observed. 'I will see you later' she said. 'Enyo is summoning me, I think she wishes to talk.'

'Later Blue' Buffy bade her farewell. 'You know this just isn't what I thought I'd be doing today when I woke up this morning' she said shortly afterwards to the multiverse before heading off to meet her dimensional twin. 'If I'd known I might have stayed in bed' she added sadly.

After watching the bloke struggle with the task for a couple of minutes Spike had been thoughtfully helping Ashton drain a demon so he could bring some blood back to Harmony, there was more of an art to the job than most amateurs would think, but now with the mercenary reasonably clued-up on the methodology of getting more in the bottle and less on himself the ensouled vampire was now looking for assistance of his own. 'Andrew, for the last time do I look okay?' he asked.

'Why are you asking me?' Andrew queried.

'Because you're the closest thing to "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" advice available' Spike replied flatly.

Andrew looked confused. 'I'm not gay' he declared. Actually he had thought at one time he probably was but was now even more confused than ever having discovered he very much enjoyed sex with girls, or at least the one girl he had had sex with.

'Yeah and we were all bloody shocked when you put yourself in the closet by getting a bird' Spike retorted, 'but you're _still_ a much better bet than Chuck for advice and I wouldn't accept fashion opinions from Forehead-Boy if he was the last brooding, emo, Goth-Wannabe on Earth.'

'I am _not_ a Goth-Wannabe' Angel declared irately, Johnny Cash wore black all the time and nobody accused him of looking like a Goth. 'And why the hell are you worried what you look like?' he asked incredulously.

'Two Buffy's mate' Spike pointed out. 'I'm going to try and chat them up' he confided.

Angel looked at Spike in amazement. 'You've been procrastinating about Buffy ever since they made you corporeal again and _now_, on a freaking _battlefield_, you're going to finally do it' he said, shaking his head in continued disbelief.

Spike shrugged. 'From what I hear the Buffy from this dimension likes a spot of the girl-on-girl action and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least try and get myself into a three-way' he explained.

'You're kidding' Angel responded eventually after a long pause.

'Don't play the innocent with me mate, I remember all the times you tried to get Drusilla and Darla into the sack for some concurrent horizontal refreshment and don't feed me any bollocks that was just the demon talking because I know better' Spike told him. 'We're immortal, it would play on my mind _forever_ if I didn't make the effort' he said. 'Two Buffy's, one definitely up for some AC/DC and the other maybe curious...' he added, voice petering off. 'Well I've _got_ to give it a go' he declared.

Ashton screwed the lid on the flask of blood he had been filling from a mortally wounded demon, Spike had told him it was easier to do from a live one where the still beating heart helped the process, and looked at the vampire with a new sense of respect and admiration. 'That is one of the most stirring, inspirational things I've ever heard' he told the vampire.

'Moral degenerates' Angel muttered though a little voice at the back of his mind noted that he was being hypocritical and it wasn't coming from the demon.

Andrew pursed his lips. If the Buffy in this dimension was bisexual maybe _he_ was bisexual too he wondered, that would certainly explain a few things he decided. He resolved to find out how a fantasy involving both Captain Archer and T'Pol played out in his mind, plenty of decontamination gel involved of course. 'The coat looks good as ever' he told Spike.

'Cheers' Spike replied brightly.

'Good luck' Ashton told the vampire as Spike headed towards where the two Buffy's were meeting.

Further away from the castle and wandering around checking on the LA girls she considered her personal responsibility Faith's arm was tired from swinging her scythe. The last few frantic minutes before the demons broke and ran had been the most ferocious, vicious fighting she had ever experienced and now she was paying the price for her exertions. 'Should have limbered up more' she observed as she watched a small group of slayers fighting one of the few remaining rock demons.

'Like a bear bought down by a pack of wolves' Wesley observed approaching her, watching the girls use superior numbers to defeat the stronger, tougher opponent. 'I imagine all that sparring with Glory taught them how to do that' he reasoned.

Faith broke out into a broad smile and embraced him with her free arm, holding her razor-sharp scythe away from him. 'You stayed clear when things got up close and personal right lover?' she asked.

'I know my limitations' Wesley replied.

Faith looked at him suspiciously. 'Your eyes look funny, you weren't playing with fire were you?' she asked.

'A couple of fireballs to help out with the big red bastards at the end nothing serious' Wesley told her. 'I know how far I can push the magicks before I go a little... evil' he continued. 'You should have seen Willow and Amy, they were flying overhead like they were on a strafing run over on the far flank for a while' he said. 'They're helping with the wounded now, bringing back some girls right on the edge of going over to the other side.'

'They can handle it better than you Warlock-Watcher' Faith told him. 'You know the rules about you and magic' she said.

'I know, I'm a bad bad man that shouldn't play with the dark arts' Wesley replied with amusement. 'I thought you liked my darker side?' he queried.

'Edgy I like, psychotic not so much' Faith told him. 'You'll have to be punished.'

'Sounds... ominous' Wesley replied.

'Just be grateful I don't have the bullwhip any more' Faith told him.

'I'm still getting over the revelation that you had the schoolgirl outfit to go with it' Wesley told her. That had been an interesting conversation at a bar one night after a few drinks.

'Not a mental image I needed guys' Vi interrupted having approached them, at least Janko wasn't kinky she decided. 'A few of the demons have scattered heading North, I'm going to hunt them from the helicopter' she told Wesley indicating the aircraft which was heading into land. 'If you've got a few spare magazines can you hand them over?' she requested.

Wesley quickly checked his ammunition harness and gave Vi the three remaining thirty-round clips he had. 'Sorry used up the rest' he apologised.

'We burned off a lot of ammunition' Vi noted.

'There was a lot to shoot at' Wesley replied then smiled. 'The girls were first class' he told Vi. 'You should be proud of them' he said seriously.

'Oh yeah we kicked ass' Vi responded with a grin. 'Showed the bugs and our people what the gunslayers can do' she declared. 'All down to you' she told Wesley, 'leading the way.'

'Ah yes, I remember I carried a gun before it became popular in our line of work' Wesley noted. 'But you showed the other slayers what they could do if they adopted modern methods' he added, earning a blush from Vi.

Faith looked from the gun-toting watcher to the gun-toting slayer and rolled her eyes. 'Get a room' she told them.

Molly had dashed over to be there when the two Buffy's met and already had her ever-present notebook out to jot down the conversation for posterity. Temporarily forgetting about her plans for a new chapter in the Slayer Handbook on tactics for full-scale battle she was now thinking about the proper way to introduce yourself to your double in another dimension and ways of making it seem less awkward and confusing. Pencil ready she prepared to record the meeting for posterity as her Buffy and the local one greeted each other.

For a few seconds they looked at each other. 'I like the hair' one said eventually. 'I was thinking of getting it styled like that but I wasn't sure' she told her doppelganger.

The other Buffy nodded. 'I decided to take a risk' she replied.

'Suits you' the first Buffy told her. 'So... nice dimension you've got here' she said. 'Is that castle as draughty as it looks?' she asked.

'No it's pretty nice inside, I'll give you the fifty-cent tour' the other Buffy offered.

'Could I get a change of clothes too? These are wet from the moor and I guess we're the same size' the first Buffy asked hopefully. 'So what happened to Dawn?' she queried, looking up.

'You know Dawn, or at least I guess you do' the other Buffy replied sadly. 'Every damn week it's something new' she complained.

'Oh you're _so_ right' the first Buffy agreed then smiled. 'I always say Dawn's in trouble...'

'Must be Tuesday' the other interrupted and they both laughed.

Molly sighed and struck a line through her notes, that just wasn't what she had been hoping for as regards posterity.

'So after I see your place how about you come see mine?' the first Buffy suggested. 'Oh hey Spike' she said as the vampire arrived.

'Ladies' Spike greeted them as suavely as he could.

'Not a vampire?' the local Buffy queried.

'The lack of bursting into flames is because of this' Spike explained, holding up his hand to reveal a gaudy ring.

'Oh right, Gem of Amara' the local Buffy realised. 'But you've got a soul?' she checked.

'Oh yeah' Spike confirmed. 'I'm a champion fighting the good fight these days' he said. 'No chip either, did your Spike have a chip?' he asked. 'I still get bloody headaches when I think about it' he complained bitterly.

Buffy nodded. 'It's weird seeing you alive... well sort of alive' she told him.

'Died in the Hellmouth wearing a piece of jewellery even less stylish than this?' Spike asked, indicating the ring. 'Me too' he explained after she nodded, then he paused 'Um... I got better' he added gracelessly.

'No offence but you come from a _really_ weird place' the local Buffy told her visiting counterpart honestly.

'I guess everyone thinks their own world is the normal one' Molly spoke up.

The local Buffy shuffled nervously. 'In this one I watched you die' she told the English girl.

'That would be a major reason I prefer mine to this one' Molly told her earnestly.

'So want to visit our little portion of the multiverse?' the Buffy from out-of-town, or rather out-of-parallel universe asked. 'Illyria doesn't usually need much persuasion to fetch in some Mexican food by portal as long as you don't mind that stuff' she offered, indicating the blue-haired demon that was now happily stalking the moor with her red-haired "daughter" looking for relatively undamaged demons to eviscerate as a wholesome family activity.

The other Buffy thought about it. 'I could eat' she decided eventually.

**Shadow Valley – California – July 2005**

Xander offered a beer to his double after fetching dsome from the kitchen. 'It looks cool, the eye-patch I mean, but I think the lack of depth perception would be a pain the ass right?' he asked, passing it over.

'They make me re-take my driving test every year' the other Xander replied. 'Overall I'd rather have both eyes in working order' he agreed.

'I think it makes you look rugged' Anya opined, helping herself to another Taco as they sat together in the canteen where several table had been pushed together to accommodate everyone.

'Must limit the possibilities for Halloween though' the two-eyed Xander remarked. 'Pirate or Nick Fury, Nick Fury or Pirate' he continued.

'I was thinking Horatio Nelson or Claus von Stauffenberg for this year' the other Xander replied. 'One fought against Napoleon, the other tried to assassinate Hitler, it's not a bad choice either way' he said, taking a swig of his beer. 'So why make this place look like Sunnydale High?' he asked.

'For one thing it was cheap to get the architectural plans' Anya told him. 'I try and keep a tight rein on expenditure' she remarked.

'I wouldn't have thought you had a budgetary problem' the alternate Willow who had come from Scotland remarked.

'Thanks to my intervention the Slayer Organisation is financially secure' Illyria stated, she was not in her "Ria" form, human but for blue-streaked hair.

'Heading for our first billion in the bank' Anya said happily. 'I'm not happy about all the bullets you used up though' she added. 'They're not free you know' she told her Buffy, I'm planning to send a stern memo to Vi about it' she declared firmly.

The Xander with the eye-patch laughed, she was so much his own late-lamented Anya, for that matter the alternate Renée he had run into earlier was like the one he had also lost recently. This reality was somehow less cruel than his own and he might have envied them more if he wasn't the one that sees as Caleb had called him. They were colder, harder in this dimension, more willing to take the uncomfortable choices he had decided, he suspected the skinny blue chick over there was a bad influence on people.

The Willow's were comparing notes on magic, and about Kennedy, it seemed the Willow here had a better relationship with her which could actually be down to them not living together a concept which Xander could easily accept. Kennedy was pushy as hell, and he couldn't imagine she was easy to live with, having one of the couple living in California and the other in Cleveland gave them the space they needed to stay together it seemed.

Other characters were truly inexplicably different from his reality though, Xander thought, Faith actually seemed relaxed, and considerably more balanced than the one he knew. He doubted the Faith in his reality would be willing to accept the screwed-up domestic situation this one did sharing her boyfriend with a demon, and the fact she was with _Wesley_ of all people was freaky in itself. The chain of events that had resulted in this reality must be bizarre in the extreme and the fact it took _two_ time-travelling demon women to bring them to this situation wasn't that big a surprise... once you got over the basic concept.

'So I've got to ask' Faith said. 'Where's the other me?' she queried.

'She's with my Giles' the alternate Buffy replied. 'We're on bad terms' she said, feeling decidedly awkward with the fact that the Giles in this reality was sitting across from her and apparently getting along great with _his_ Buffy who was sat beside her playing hostess.

'You should make up' Faith replied. 'Trust me, she'll go a long way to make amends if she's fucked up' she said honestly. Making amends meant a lot to her, making up with Wes, trying to keep things good with B, doing that had made it easier to live with herself. 'And if it was you that fucked-up she'll forgive you' she added with a smile. 'It's a guilt thing' she explained.

'That emotion is so restricting' Illyria complained. 'With the exception of Spike and Anya you all have no idea how liberating the lack of a conscience is' she said. Angel would have too but he was back in LA. 'The shell I wear is a pain in the ass' she declared with some annoyance.

'I like it' Wesley told her.

'You like what I let you do to it' Illyria responded.

'So do you' Wesley defended himself.

'Alright so this form has its plus sides' Illyria admitted.

'Can you _please_ change the subject' Rebecca requested. It was bad enough they were eating Mexican Food again but hearing your parents discuss their sex lives was just not something she thought anyone would particularly enjoy over dinner with guests.

'Seeing as how I'm basically the "shell" she's talking about I'd like a change in subject too' Fred agreed. 'Is anyone going to eat the last enchilada?' she asked.

'I'll split it with you' Illyria offered, she was gradually getting used to sharing things, it helped social cohesion, her damned conscience and her love-life too for that matter. In any case she liked Fred, it was hard not to because Fred basically liked herself for the most part which meant Illyria inherited that opinion along with so much else.

The Buffy from Scotland dipped a nacho in some salsa, popped it in her mouth and swallowed it. 'Okay so you're serious about what you said regarding the First and an Army of Turok-Han being out there as well as these bug things?' she asked.

'Yeah' her counterpart from this world replied. 'It sucks but its true, I guess there's a Buffy out there who wasn't as good as we were at stopping him' she reasoned. 'Ours ran away, did I mention that?' she asked.

'You did' the other Buffy replied. 'So because some alternate Buffy screwed the pooch _we_ have to deal with him instead?' she complained. 'It's not right, it's like being punished for competence' she opined.

'It's a near-infinite multiverse, so most possible results are played out somewhere' Rebecca observed. 'I once went to an alternate Earth where vampires were considered citizens and had legal rights and protections as long as they didn't hurt people' she said. 'I had this run-in with a Federal Marshall, who thought a nine-millimetre automatic was a good choice of sidearm for going up again the supernatural' she continued. 'Probably a good thing she didn't use a decent sized calibre, if she'd shot me with something that does more than stings I'd have rammed it up her ass instead of just frightening the crap out of the sarcastic little bitch and beating the crap out of those were-whatevers with her.'

'I went to a dimension without shrimp and Illyria's been to one that's nothing but shrimp' Anya interjected. 'And I once created an alternate timeline where Willow and Xander were Vampires and Sunnydale was like a hell on Earth' she added. 'Cordelia was partially to blame don't lay it all on me' she said when everyone but Illyria gave her a look of rebuke. Illyria considered Anya her best friend and sometime confidant and wasn't remotely in a position to be judgemental given her own history of bloody conquest.

'We'll help you protect yourself if the First Evil ends up coming to your dimension' Wesley told their visitors. 'I think it's fair to say we hope you'll be willing to help us too if we need it' he continued. 'United we stand divided we fall as they say.'

'We hang together or we hang separately' Faith agreed. 'There's a lot of bad-shit going down and if we don't all face up to it we're screwed' she said.

Illyria nodded. 'I'm sure that Buffy will agree to offering you and your slayers training and military aid required to assist you defending yourselves from future dimensional incursions but in return we expect you to be willing if necessary to help us defend other alternate worlds.'

'People are people, they all need protecting' Fred observed. She was being utterly sincere and was also enjoying not being the only one in the room with a alternate universe doppelganger for once too.

'Unity of the Slayers across the whole multiverse is necessary to protect your race, if you do not form into a single coherent unity then you will be picked off one reality at a time' Illyria stated.

Buffy nodded. 'Sorry to lay this on you but we've been dealing with the crap a lot longer than you have' she told the Buffy from dimension AE2005-0004-B. 'If we ever need you will you come?' she asked.

The alternate Buffy looked to her Willow and Xander for guidance and found it in their eyes, well the three they had between them anyhow. 'When you need us to help hold back the darkness we'll be there' she said with conviction.

'Nice to know there's a few constants across the multiverse' Fred observed. 'I guess Buffy;s are one of them' she said.

True, Rebecca thought to herself, they're all well-meaning but unfortunately fucking useless for the most part. Oh well, at least people would be used to Illyria taking operational command now, it shouldn't be too hard to gradually shift that into permanent leadership over time she decided. There were a multitude of worlds to save, untold billions for the God-King to rescue and rule with her daughter at her side.... benevolently of course, it was easier on the conscience that way.

* * *

_**Note from the Author:**_

_This fanfic runs on reviews... and occasionally Mexican Food._


	6. Chapter 6

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

**Shadow Valley – California – August 2005**

The synchronised pounding of multiple pairs of boots in the corridor outside his office shifted Robin Wood's attention from the textbook he was reading, and getting up from his desk he yanked open his door and stepped out to confront whoever it was that was failing to obey the rules just as a teenage girl yelled 'Make a hole' to clear the route ahead.

Like hell I will, Wood thought to himself and stood right in the centre of the corridor he faced the source of commotion a stern expression on his face. 'No running in the halls' he said as the column of girls who had been double-timing through the school suddenly found they had to stop because the way was blocked by an annoyed School Principal.

Wearing combat gear, chain mail armour, a helmet and with both an assault rifle and a slayer scythe hanging off her back the lead gunslayer fixed Robin Wood with an icy glare. 'We're in a hurry Sir, please step aside' she told him, he was a head taller than her at least but not exactly intimidating given that she was both several times stronger and heavily armed.

'No running in the halls' Robin Wood repeated. 'You know the rules or don't you think the rules apply to you?' he asked rhetorically.

'We pretty much work to our own set and they're only guidelines at best' the girl told him with a superior smirk on her face.

'In _my_ school you follow _my_ rules' Wood replied. 'I don't care what you do anywhere else but right here, inside these four walls, _I_ decide what the rules are and obeying them is not optional' he told her. 'There was a time in similar circumstances I would be considering calling in your parents to discuss your attitude young lady but I guess I'll have to settle to asking Vi to come to my office to explain why her people think the rules don't apply to them like they do everyone else' he said.

'She'll have us running laps until we puke' one of the other gunslayers whispered, earning nods of affirmation from the others. They liked to think of themselves as some kind of elite but they were still slayers and expected to follow the normal chain of command, at Shadow Valley Slayer Academy that meant Robin Wood was pretty close to God as regards the official hierarchy.

'So should I assume you will continue the rest of your journey at walking pace?' Wood asked knowingly.

'Yeah' the lead gunslayer mumbled, breaking eye contact.

'I'm sorry?' Wood asked. 'I didn't quite hear that' he said.

'Yes Principal Wood we'll walk the rest of the way' the girl said more loudly and clearly.

'Good, and remember that skipping classes isn't allowed either' Wood told them, stepping aside to let them continue on their way at a more acceptable pace. 'I know you've all been doing it' he said, looking from one to the other as if memorising their faces and comparing it to a mental list.

'What if I can get a signed note saying I _had_ to cut math class last week because I was being deployed to dimension AE2005-0006-A to fight a pack of vampire velociraptors?' one of the girls asked, shifting the strap of her rifle so it was more comfortable against her ammunition harness.

'No exceptions' Wood replied flatly, though he did think that as excuses went it was a doozy, you never got ones like that when he was running Sunnydale High. 'I can arrange a replacement class after school or at the weekend to make it up' Wood replied. 'Now get going before I get a hall monitor to move you on' he said, turning and going back into his office.

Heavy boots once again hitting the floor in unison, but now at walking or rather marching pace, Wood returned to his chair and listened to them go until they were out of earshot. A few of the other girls, regular slayers who had been nearby listening were now giggling. 'He's so cool' one said, just loud enough for him to overhear.

'Well duh, his mom was a slayer, of _course_ he's cool' another replied as if that went without saying.

'All of you get to class' Wood called out loudly through his still open office door. 'Don't make me start taking names for detention.'

'I've got a free-period Principal Wood' one of the girls called back.

'You've got a _study_ period' Wood retorted. 'Go to the library and study before I come up with an essay assignment' he threatened.

A head of blond hair looked around the doorway into his office. 'Ooh you're harsh' Buffy told him. 'They see the earring and think you're one of those easy-going teacher types that tries to be everyone's friend but underneath it all beats the heart of a true authoritarian' she said, starting to laugh.

'You've got to set boundaries Buffy' Wood replied professionally, 'come in' he told her. 'I was just about to grab a coffee from the canteen but you're welcome to join me if you want to discuss something' he offered.

'Caffeine sounds to the good' Buffy accepted, 'I just sat through an hour of Anya giving financial reports followed by a lecture from Knox and that other science geek Rainey about time manipulation' she said. 'I think they might be on to something' she continued, 'or at least it _felt_ like I was in there for an eternity.'

'Time manipulation?' Wood queried a few moments later as they walked together to the canteen.

'You know, like our resident, mostly team-player, demon-gods can do' Buffy explained. 'Rainey once nearly ended the world by freezing time you know, before we hired him and set a few ground-rules on unauthorised meddling with the fabric of reality I mean' the Chief Slayer continued, 'well anyhow they think that if they can get hold of some kind of crystal that's on Illyria's sarcophagus in the Deeper Well, and with Rainey's understanding of how it all works theoretically, the screwing with the flow of time I mean' she said, 'they might be able to reproduce the effect artificially that Smurfette does naturally.'

'You mean the moving like a blur thing?' Wood queried.

'Yeah, but we might only be looking at five maybe ten times normal speed for some reason which they told me but was way, _way_ over my head' Buffy replied. 'I _think_ it had something to do with control, and not having a good enough portable power source, but mostly I was just nodding like I understood by that point' she admitted. 'Willow was there and she couldn't keep up with them either so I don't feel too bad about it' Buffy added in her defence.

Robin Wood smiled. 'Funny to think we've got a Research and Development Team based in a small laboratory under a High School which is working on things that the people they're awarding the Nobel Prize to _might_ catch up with by the end of the century' he observed.

'It's costing enough money to fund them' Buffy complained, 'that particle accelerator they're digging a tunnel for under the gym will cost us five weeks income' she said, 'and Anya nearly threw a fit when she saw the estimated running costs' she added.

'If you think scientific progress and education are expensive you should try the long-term cost of stagnation and ignorance as a comparison' Wood responded. 'We're investing in the future so we can save it' he said.

'Isn't this where you say something like "Children are our greatest natural resource"?' Buffy asked with a smile.

'I have to, I run a school and if it ever got out it was really oil I might lose my job' Wood told her deadpan. 'I don't want to work in the private sector where they expect long-hours and concrete results' he continued, 'and the job market for people to dust the blood-sucking undead is too crowded at the moment for me to go back to that and try to earn a living' he added regretfully.

'Yeah, Anya says the slayer surplus should be driving down the wages we pay them according to good, honest free-market principles' Buffy told him. 'I swear you'd think it was her own money she was dealing with' she said.

'So not a good time to be asking for an increase in my budget?' Wood asked.

'I'd leave it a few days before raising that one' Buffy suggested as they arrived at the canteen finding more than a few tables already occupied.

Wood looked around slowly and dramatically for effect then checked his watch. 'I make it five minutes past the hour' he announced, 'anyone still here who is supposed to be in class right now when it comes around to _six_ minutes past the hour should report to my office at Three-Thirty for detention' he said.

Buffy watched slayers scatter as the most powerful of demons could only dream of achieving. 'You're a natural, you know that?' she told him.

'I must admit, I _do_ enjoy the feeling of untrammelled power' Wood told her honestly, heading for the espresso machine.

**Hyperion Hotel – Los Angeles – August 2005**

'This is ridiculous' Enyo declared loudly, the icy inhuman tone of her voice making it obvious to the others in the vicinity of the lobby that it was her not Rebecca currently in the shells driving seat. 'We should be taking further advantage of the disarray of our enemies not going through with this charade' she insisted as Illyria in the form of her human "Ria" persona glared at her, the two practically nose to nose. In their natural forms the two would have been wrestling tentacles in a more physical test of dominance by this point, though the younger was typically likely to yield to the elder in the end, unless attempting to overthrow their position that is, unquestioning subservience was not exactly a trait they were inclined towards.

'I instructed you to put on a pretty dress and some nice shoes' the God-King of the Primordium reminded her heir. 'Do so immediately, and make sure to be back here when Mom and Dad arrive' she commanded. 'Your jeans and t-shirt are unacceptable garments for the circumstances' she informed her obstinate offspring. 'You are scruffy and unkempt' she complained.

Enyo shifted her human-like blue eyes to their glacial form. 'The visiting Burkles are _not_ my grandparents' she retorted. 'Nor are they even _your_ parents' the God-Princess continued. 'You merely have the memories of them being _Fred's_ parents' she pointed out, accurately but irrelevantly in Illyria's opinion.

Not willing to blithely accept such back-talk from their mutual child like Faith would, the slayer seemed to think some "sass" in the girl was a positive personality trait rather than disagreeable rank insolence, Illyria shifted her own eyes to match the other and the two human shell wearing demons glared into their own reflections as cast in the other's eyes. 'Firstly you will call her "Aunty Fred" not merely her familiar name' Illyria ordered, 'and secondly, regardless of your lack of direct familial connection to the Burkles you are still my daughter and you will do as you are darn well told' she said forcefully. 'As I have told you before you are not so powerful as to be able to resist being chastised physically' she said. 'The flat of one of the enchanted broadswords would make an adequate paddle for your behind.'

'I am not a child to be spanked for disobedience' Enyo protested.

'By the standards of our clan you would be considered an infant at best for centuries after you were spawned' Illyria replied evenly. She was once again realising why her own birth-parent, the first Enyo, used to regularly smack her upside the head with a tentacle, it all made so much more sense now, the sheer frustration of being so annoyed with something you couldn't simply kill outright.

'I know how you feel about them Mother' Enyo replied, trying to sound more conciliatory in tone, changing tactic in an attempt to win the argument in a different manner than outright refusal and the possibility of corporal punishment as a response. 'I feel the same way about Mom and Dad' she admitted, which was true, 'Wesley and Faith I mean' she continued, 'they aren't my parents but feel like they are, but you must see that it is ludicrous to expect me...'

'Pretty dress, nice shoes, ideally a blue ribbon in your hair, right_ now_ or there will be _dire_ consequences for your disobedience' Illyria vowed, cutting Enyo off mid-sentence.

Despite not ever having to blink from a physiological standpoint Enyo did so, she also swallowed nervously. 'You're serious?' she asked apprehensively.

'When am I _not_ serious?' Illyria asked rhetorically, 'And I expect you to be the very epitome of sweetness and light when Fred's... I mean when _my_ parents, who you _will_ act towards as if they were _your_ grandparents, arrive' the God-King growled.

'I'll be back in a minute' Enyo told her, realising further argument was futile, raising a hand and becoming a blur which shot up the lobby stairs in the direction of her room.

'Kinda harsh on the girl weren't you? Fred asked, she was amused that if anything Illyria was taking the visit of her parents to LA more to heart than she was. 'You know she does have a point' Fred told Illyria. 'I know we've been pretending to be sisters and all but Mom didn't have twins despite what all the forged records and hacked computer databases say' she noted.

Illyria changed her eyes back to the human blue she wore as "Ria" and her voice became identical to Fred's own. 'Yeah I know, but they feel like _my_ Mom and Dad too and Enyo feels like my little girl so... well it just seems like the thing to do' she said with a shrug. 'I'm fighting instincts and emotions I shouldn't have and it's easier to accept the things than fight them' she said. 'If they were an enemy I could vanquish I would, but it's just not that simple dammit' she complained. She used to think adaptation was accepting defeat, perhaps it was, but she had to live in this world and there was little to be gained in feeling miserable all the time. Dealing with the minor irritant of the world not simply moulding itself around her wants and desires as it should was just one of those things she had to deal with in this era unfortunately.

Fred smiled. 'You look nice by the way' she told her doppelganger, switching to a lighter topic of conversation.

'You think so?' Illyria asked, 'I know Mom always liked me, I mean you, in a dress' she said, smoothing out the light summer garment which was not too dissimilar from the one Fred had on herself.

'As opposed to jeans or one of those mini-skirts she thought would attract the wrong kind of boy?' Fred responded with a laugh.

'They attract _every_ kind of boy from what I can tell' Illyria observed, the nice intelligent ones were just as shallow as the others when you got right down to it. The shell had not been well endowed with the cleavage most heterosexual human males seemed to appreciate on a potential mate but she did have legs well suited for a diminutive skirt that resulted in many appreciative glances.

'Yeah well it's alright for you "Sis", you've _got_ a boyfriend' Fred replied, 'I can look forward to a day of Mom's less than subtle hints about when I'm going to find a nice guy and settle down' she predicted with a sigh.

Illyria shook her head. 'I wish I only had _that_ to worry about' she countered. 'When I told Dad on the phone about Wesley and Faith I thought for one moment he was going to catch the next flight to LA and bust Wesley on the jaw' she said, it had been an extremely embarrassing prospect, to the point of humiliation, but inwardly she had been very pleased that the Burkle's seemed to have accepted her to such a degree, that her being upset bothered them too. 'I'll bet Mom has a lecture planned if nothing else' she added gloomily.

Fred beamed. 'That's great' she said brightly, 'I can just play the "men can't be trusted, look at what happened with Illyria" angle to get her off my back, and you can take all the flak being told not to let yourself be treated like a doormat' she decided.

'I'm glad that one of us benefits' Illyria replied sardonically. 'But Mom's right you really _should_ find a boyfriend' she said, 'it should not be a difficult task, physically we are suitably attractive and your personality is likely less intimidating than mine' the God-King reasoned.

'I think most men think I'm quirky, and probably too much smarter than them, and I don't know how many like that' Fred replied honestly, 'and you're a teeny bit more confident than I am in striking up a conversation with strangers' she said. 'Even if it's mostly just you threatening them' she added.

Illyria nodded, Fred might have a point. 'If Wesley had more reputable associates I would ask him to set you up on a date with one of them' she told her. 'Unfortunately most are quite unacceptable' she continued, 'mystics with underworld ties, drunken bar-buddies, arms dealers, mercenaries and the like.'

Harmony sat at the reception desk had been quietly listening in of course, hoping that some decent gossip might come up and her vampire hearing made it simple to eavesdrop, but she wasn't going to let that pass without comment. 'What's wrong with Fred dating a mercenary?' she asked in a hurt tone. 'It's a perfectly respectable profession' she declared with a pout now clearly forming.

Illyria turned to the vampire. 'Half-breeds who lack souls are in no position to make such moral judgements' she stated flatly. 'Those who fight for pay not a cause are not the kind I would have as potential members of my family' she said.

'I've read your résumé on that website Knox made up for you' Harmony replied defensively, 'you've killed millions and you still think you're better than the rest of us' she said. 'I bet my boyfriend and I have only killed hundreds tops between us.... and I'll bet most of them probably deserved it anyway' she declared, crossing her arms and glowering at Illyria.

'Kill one person and you're a murderer' Illyria replied,' kill a hundred people and you're a _mass_-murderer' she continued, 'but kill a _million_ people and you're a _conqueror_' she announced proudly, crossing her own arms and smirking back at the vampire.

Fred shook her head. 'Try not to say things like that in front of Mom and Dad when they get here' she advised. 'They took long enough to get used to the blue hair' she reminded Illyria.

'Is this okay?' Enyo asked resignedly, walking down the stairs in a more suitable outfit.

Illyria looked her up and down. 'Much better' she said. 'And remember to call them Sir and Ma'am unless they suggest you call them something else more familiar' she ordered.

'This is even more stupid than when dad made me call his dad "Grandfather" on the telephone a couple of months back' Enyo muttered, 'and at least he only did that so he could hear him splutter and say something about hellspawn and family shame.'

'Roger Wyndham-Pryce is by _far_ the biggest source of shame in our clan and don't you forget it' Illyria told Enyo. 'Roger Burkle was a far superior parent to his own child and undoubtedly will make a far superior grandparent as well' she said with certainty.

'You look very pretty' Fred told Enyo sweetly, 'but do something about the creepy eyes' she advised.

'I _still_ think this is ridiculous' Enyo declared, changing her eyes back to something less crystalline in appearance.

'Quiet I hear their Taxi pulling up outside' Illyria responded, 'and smile and offer to take their bags when they come in' she added.

All this and dinner at another Mexican Restaurant tonight, Enyo thought dejectedly to herself, it certainly didn't help that Rebecca was laughing at her from the back of their joint mind, damn parents she thought as Illyria proudly introduced her to Mom and Dad.

Despite an awkward start the rest of day went very well overall, Fred could have done without the "So when are we going to see grandchildren from you?" line from her mother though.

**Milwaukee – Wisconsin – August 2005**

'You know you didn't have to come' Stephen told Kennedy as he examined an item the stores owner had labelled as a piece of genuine Sumerian pottery ideal for mixing potions in. 'You invited yourself along' he reminded her. 'This is fake' he said, putting it back down, 'some cheap knock-off probably made to fool Roman tourists in the First Century AD' he continued giving the owner of the magical supplies store a disapproving look.

'I just needed to get out of Cleveland for a couple of days' Kennedy replied. 'Look can we go do something fun after this?' she begged, 'you've been trawling around every place in town with mystical stuff in stock all afternoon' she complained.

Stephen sighed, he knew it was a mistake letting her tag along. 'One more place after this and we'll find somewhere to eat okay?' he suggested. 'I just want to make sure that nobody is dealing in artefacts which could be dangerous' he explained.

'Yeah, I know' Kennedy replied. 'The Great Lakes Region is our beat and we're walking it' she said.

'You've been like this since we came back from Scotland' Stephen told her, 'what's the word you colonials use? Antsy?' he asked.

Kennedy couldn't help but laugh, Willow used that phrase to describe herself when they hadn't had sex in a while. 'I'm just finding it hard to get used to the old routine after seeing the larger multiverse outside' she admitted. 'I just want to be out there getting into the real fight not dusting the odd vamp or scything some random demon that thinks it's the new-big bad' she told him. 'Going from world to world with my scythe.'

'This is the job' Stephen reminded her, 'ninety-eight percent boring research and training, two-percent sheer terror and adrenaline' he said.

'I think I need at least three percent of the good stuff these days' Kennedy replied. 'Ideally ten' she told him with a shrug. 'No more than that though, I like my time off to relax' she added.

Stephen rolled his eyes. 'If I was a few years older I'd give you a lecture about youth and you not knowing what you really want' he said. 'As it is I'll call you a silly bint and tell Willow if you don't snap out of this phase you're going through, let her talk some sense into you.'

'I'm _not_ going through a phase' Kennedy denied as Stephen continued to wander around the store looking over the various charms, texts and potions. The owner knew he was with the Council so he wasn't going to say anything, just hoping the Limey kid and his slayer companion would get lost soon, they were bad for business, quite a few of the clientele were demons or else humans who wouldn't like to encounter the self-professed guardians of mystical law and order.

'Yes you are' Stephen told her, liking girls may be a permanent state of affairs, being a pain in the arse for me probably is too' he continued, 'but wanting to ditch a great job and walk the dimensions fighting evil-doers makes you sound like you aspire to be Caine from Kung-Fu, who was of course, as Vincent in Pulp Fiction rightly maintained, basically a jobless bum' he said.

Kennedy laughed again, she liked Stephen, he was basically her voice of reason and not nearly as big a social embarrassment to have around as Giles was to Buffy. 'I just wish there was always something new and exciting about to walk in the door to liven things up you know' she said wistfully.

'Life isn't so obliging I'm afraid' Stephen told her as he checked another item on sale. 'I hope you've put a seven day waiting period so you can run a background check on anyone wanting a Hand of Glory' he asked the store owner who nodded in affirmation.

The door to the street swung open and Stephen looked up, his eyes widening then a grin spreading across his face as he recognised the figure stood there. 'On the other hand, sometimes good things _do_ happen out of the blue' he said brightly. 'Rutherford Sirk' he said, 'as I live and breathe' he continued in wonderment. 'Now I'm _sure_ we told you to never get involved with the occult again didn't we?' he asked rhetorically.

'Oh bugger' Sirk responded, the turncoat ex-watcher not too happy at the turn of events as the young man walked over to him, all too much of a bounce in his step for comfort. What were the bloody chances of running into this little bastard he wondered.

'I do believe we need to have a quiet word Sirk' Stephen told him. 'After the formalities of course' he added.

'Formalities?' Sirk queried.

'Yes, the formalities' Stephen replied happily, throwing a neat right cross that sent Sirk sprawling.

'Oh come on' Kennedy moaned, 'even _you're_ having a more interesting day than mine' she complained.

'Good things happen to good people' Stephen replied cheerfully, wondering if a genuinely good person would be contemplating giving Sirk a hefty kick in the ribs like he currently was, eventually deciding probably not which didn't actually stop him however.

* * *

_**Note from the Author:**_

_This fanfic runs on reviews... which is cheaper than paying me in cash_ :-p


	7. Chapter 7

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**Hyperion Hotel – Los Angeles – September 2005**

'Spike get your ass in here' Angel called out from his office as he spotted the blond vampire heading out through the lobby. Judging by the tone of voice it wasn't because he was in the mood for company, not that he generally was being an introspective, miserable git in Spike's estimation.

'I've got to be somewhere' Spike called back, checking his watch.

'I don't care what bar you need to get to before someone takes your favourite seat' Angel replied, 'get in here.'

'Must be the full moon so he's not getting any tonight' Spike muttered, stamping towards the office. 'No need to take it out on me because it's his bird's time of the month' he continued, giving Harmony a wink as he walked past her desk, the blond vampire was mouthing "Good luck" to him having been on the receiving end of many a tirade by her boss.

'Close the door behind you and sit down' Angel told him.

'Can we make this quick' Spike requested. 'Just yell at me until you feel better, I'll yell back to make a show of it, and then we get both get on with our afterlives' he said.

Angel glared at Spike, this was something he had become very accustomed to doing over the years and sadly suspected he'd be doing for many more to come. 'I just got a call from Giles' he said.

'Good for you' Spike replied, 'someone show you how to pick up the receiver?' he asked sarcastically. 'I know Mail Coaches with a bloke carrying a blunderbuss riding shotgun is more your era but it's nice to know that only, what a hundred and twenty years?' he guessed, 'after Bell invented the thing, you've mastered the new-fangled technology' he continued. 'I'll expect my first email from you in a century or so then' he said with a smirk.

Angel ignored him, that was something else he was well used to doing. 'It seems Giles got a call himself, from the Kenyard School for Girls' he told Spike.

'Ah' Spike responded, straightening up in his chair.

'And I see from that look of realisation you know what this is about' Angel noted, 'forgive me for not skipping ahead but this is a story that i think is worth the telling' he said, leaning back in his chair. 'So here we are, just after the end of Summer Vacation' Angel began, 'Emily and the Twins are back here in LA during the week after spending most of the summer at Shadow Valley with Giles' he continued, 'and their school contacts Giles to complain that the girl's "uncle" has just left one of the staff close to tears after an unannounced visit to the school' he said.

'I can explain' Spike defended himself.

'Now at first Giles thought it must have been Wesley' Angel continued, ignoring Spike again, 'but when he rings his cell-phone to have words he finds out that Wes is in Leipzig Germany because Illyria has dragged him through a portal to the International Computer Games Convention' he said.

'Yeah Little Shiva was talking about that last week' Spike noted.

'Now this narrowed down the list of suspects' Angel said, 'who else is English, lives in LA and might pass themselves off as the girl's uncle?'

'All right, all right it's a fair cop' Spike admitted, 'I went and had a go at the dozy bint.'

'Why Spike?' Angel asked, '_Why_ did you feel the need to go to a girl's school and made an English Literature Teacher barely out of College cry?' he asked nonplussed.

Spike shrugged. 'Somebody had to' he said. 'You should hear the kind of things she's been telling those girls' he said. 'Biggest load of bollocks I've ever heard in my life, I mean they shouldn't expose impressionable young minds to drivel like that' he stated with certainty, 'it could warp them.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Angel wanted to know.

'Alright I'd better start at the beginning' Spike suggested. 'Well sometimes I give the twins some help with their homework, assignments and things' he said sounding slightly embarrassed about it, 'been doing that for a while now' he continued. 'They knew my life story being watchers and all and one day they asked me about some poetry and I had nothing better to do so I gave them some pointers' he said. 'I told them not to tell anyone' he said, clearly embarrassed.

Angel tried to keep a straight face. 'You've been helping little girls with their poetry homework?' he asked, holding back the laughter.

'If you so much as think of saying that poetry is in any way girly I'll beat the crap out of you' Spike warned him seriously, 'I had enough of that growing up' he said.

'Did you have tea-parties with them too?' Angel asked sweetly. 'Did you invite Dru and Miss Edith along?' he queried.

'You're walking a fine line mate' Spike told him, 'don't step over it' he said.

Angel fought back the urge to continue mocking. 'Okay so cut to the chase' he told Spike.

The other vampire frowned. 'So I gave Jessica a hand with an assignment her new teacher gave her, it was about Nineteenth Century English poets and seeing as how I'm the only one left she couldn't have come to anyone better for advice' Spike observed, 'bloody masterful it was' he said, 'the girl really put together a great piece of commentary and analysis, worth an A-Grade from any teacher who knows anything at all about the subject' he said. 'So she hands it in and gets back a C' he said, 'A bloody _C_' he repeated angrily, 'not even a sodding C-Plus' he added in incredulity.

'So you pretended to be her uncle and went to the school to complain?' Angel queried with astonishment.

'No first I sent Jessica back with a note asking why she only got a C because it didn't make any sense, I thought it had to be a marking error' Spike replied. 'The teacher sent back a snotty letter and said that Jess had completely misunderstood the assignment and...' Spike paused and narrowed his eyes. 'And she said that Byron was overrated' he snarled.

'So because she said some poet was overrated you went to the school and made her cry?' Angel asked.

'Byron is not just "some poet" and you're heading for a slap yourself if you say that again' Spike vowed. 'That women wouldn't know good literature if it bit her on the arse' he declared. 'Now I liked his stuff, even if he was a bleeding Yank, but Walt Whitman is _not_ better than Percy Shelley' he stated with finality. 'So I went there and spent an hour or so straightening her out on a few things' he said. 'You wouldn't _believe_ what she thought Jack Kerouac was trying to say in Mexico City Blues' Spike told him, rolling his eyes, 'I got drunk with the bloke once, you couldn't shut him up after a few drinks' Spike recalled,' and I heard it from his own lips so I _know_ she's way off' he said then smiled. 'Now if we're talking poets in competition Kerouac versus Dylan Thomas in a piss-up contest, now _that_ would have been something to see' he declared. 'Never seen anyone put it away like that who hadn't been turned.'

'Spike you can't go around terrorising High School Teachers regardless of whether or not you disagree with their tastes in poetry' Angel told him.

'I didn't terrorise her' Spike denied. 'I just clued her in on a few things and she couldn't take the criticism' he said. 'Probably a failed writer herself' he theorised, 'if you can't do, teach, as they say.'

'You'll have to apologise to her and the school and say it won't happen again' Angel told him. 'Giles was furious' he said.

'You and Giles can both bugger right off' Spike replied flatly. 'Having a soul might mean she was saved from me ripping her throat out but it also means it'll be a cold day in hell before I say sorry to that tart' he said. 'I'll apologise to Giles, I suppose I overstepped the mark going there without talking to him first, but that's it.'

Angel shook his head then grinned. 'You never were the type to back down if you felt something was right, you always had passion, no calculation at all' he said.

'We can't all be level-headed and boring' Spike observed, 'talking of level headed, with those eye-brow ridges you could pass for Frankensteins's Monster easily enough' he said. 'Mary Shelley wrote that book when she was staying with Byron you know.'

'Get out Spike' Angel told him, his grin replaced once again by a glare.

'Should have insulted you earlier, I've been missing out on valuable drinking time' Spike replied, getting up off his chair.

Spike hadn't mentioned he was going to a poetry reading night at a club as he usually tried to keep this quiet because he didn't want Angel turning up and barracking him. He only just made it in time to get in a few shots of Jack Daniels before getting up on stage and launching into his latest poem, a sad tale of love and insanity he called "Drusilla".

The teacher who happened to be in the audience more than made up for any jeering he avoided by Angel not being there however. Ignoring her during his performance he reciprocated in kind when she took her turn to read a poem and eventually they ended up practically yelling at each other at the bar.

The next morning when the twins found their new teacher sneaking out of Spike's room Jessica was mortified, her sister Deborah however couldn't help but observe that he had definitely gone the extra mile to try and get that C raised to a higher grade.

**Shadow Valley – California – September 2005**

Vi picked up the rifle and showed it to the girls gathered to watch it being tested in the underground firing range. 'Alright' she began, 'you've been asking for something more powerful and this is it' she said. 'This is the weapon they used to fight the bugs and Turok-Han where Enyo came from and we know it works because we've all seen the video images she bought back with her' Vi told the group as she put down the weapon again and took a selection of bullets from a jacket pocket. 'Okay this is the 5.56 millimetre we used in Pylea' she said holding up the smallest, 'as you all know it just didn't have the knock-down power you really need to fight demons with effectively so we switched to the 6.5 millimetre Grendel cartridge here' she continued showing another bullet. 'half again as much muzzle energy and superior long-range ballistics.'

'Okay for most demons but the bugs are harder to put down than most' a girl observed. The footsoldiers of Jasmine's army were as strong as a master vampire and had built in body armour which reduced the effectiveness of their carbines at long range.

'True enough' Vi agreed, 'Grendel will stop them but it still doesn't have the punch to drop them instantly' she said, 'you've got to shoot a burst into them unless you don't mind waiting for them to bleed out' Vi continued, 'that's okay when you can choose the ground like we did in Scotland but we can't always have that luxury' she said, 'that's why you're all going to be issued a second rifle for use in the most dire situations.'

'Does that mean Rika gets a howitzer then?' a girl joked, the South-African Slayer already carried a weapon that qualified as a cannon by virtue of its calibre.

'Maybe but not yet' Vi replied. 'Well this is our new friend' she said, holding up a third bullet. 'This is the .338 Lapua Magnum, that's 8.6 millimetre if you think in metric, which we've already been using for Sniper Rifles and we're now going to be using as standard issue for the worst situations' she announced. 'With the hot loads we're using we're talking two and a half times the muzzle energy of Grendel, almost as much as you'd get from an Elephant gun' she announced.

'Ooh' an appreciative sound of commentary responded from the back of the group.

'Ouch, might be a better description' Vi countered. 'Expect to get a bruised shoulder if you rapid-fire' she warned, returning the bullets to her jacket and picking up the new rifle once again. 'The rifle itself is based on another Heckler and Koch design you'll be pleased to hear after our experience with the G36 but again we've re-chambered the existing weapon, in this case this is an HK417 which has been scaled up to fire .338 Lapua instead of 7.62 NATO' she told them. 'And finally the design has been tweaked so it can fire three-round burst as well as single-shot and full-auto' she continued, 'and if you ever meet anything that can ignore three rounds of Lapua Mag hitting it at the same time you want to start running the other way' she joked.

'So are we dumping the old carbines?' a girl queried.

'No we're not' Vi told her, 'the main problem with this weapon is that if anything it's _too powerful_ for normal use' she said. 'The potential for over-penetration is severe, it would go through most demons, the brick wall behind them and end up blowing Little-Jimmy's head off a mile away two streets over' she said. 'Our existing G36's are dangerous enough on that score' she continued, 'this thing is a public health hazard for anything within a mile and a half not behind two inches of armour plate' Vi noted. 'We all know that when things get nasty we spray and pray, we can't risk it with one of these.'

'So we're talking Demon Dimensions where we don't care about bystanders or pitched battles only?' another girl checked.

'Or the next apocalypse' Vi responded. 'Remember that this _isn't_ an Assault Rifle' she told them, 'this weapon fires a full-powered round which makes it a _Battle _Rifle and that's what we intend it for' she said. 'Needless to say we've got a few special cartridges for special targets' Vi continued. 'Tungsten-Carbide core armour-piercing bullets for the Rock Demons, Buckingham Incendiary for Turok-Han, plus silver for werewolves that don't keep curfew' Vi told them.

'So will armour-piercers from one of those stop a Rock Demon then?' Charlotte wanted to know.

'It won't kill them Jailbait but they won't like it at all' Vi replied. 'Most bullets will still bounce, but some will hit a weaker point and manage to punch through' she said, 'aim for the joints and you'll see that mystical lava they use for blood leaking out.'

'So knee-cap the fuckers and then finish them with a scythe?' Charlotte responded. 'That's _got_ to be easier than going hand-to-hand' she reasoned.

'Easier on the knuckles anyway' Vi agreed, plenty of the slayers who fought in Scotland had actually broken their hands trying to beat down the strongest of Jasmine's demonic followers. 'Just watch out for ricochets though' she advised.

'Yeah, those could suck' Charlotte realised, even if the bullet lost much of its kinetic energy when it first hit the demon and bounced off, those cartridges would _still_ go through the body armour gunslayers wore.

'Okay, collect your battle rifle from the crates over there, grab some magazines and try it out down range' Vi instructed the girls. 'And wear ear-protection, these things are _loud_' she told them.

Joining them at the range Vi's boyfriend Janko tried out one of the new rifles himself and after firing a single magazine at full auto, where he nearly shot a series of holes in the ceiling because of what he found was the uncontrollable muzzle-climb, he decided to leave the things to the people with the superhuman strength while Vi went to find some ice for his shoulder.

**Albuquerque – New Mexico – September 2005**

'You know if she hadn't tried to set me on fire I wouldn't have held her face down in the Jacuzzi like that' Rebecca announced, releasing her grasp on the now sodden young demon woman with ridges on her cheeks who fell away gasping for breath. 'I don't burn, but my clothes do and I hate going around naked' she said, turning to face the trio of other women who now confronted her. 'Please, no pyrokinesis, I'm not here to cause trouble I only want to talk to Jhiera' she requested.

'I am Jhiera' another announced, Rebecca turning to face her 'who are you and how did you find me?' the demon asked.

'I had a rough idea where you'd be around this date and after that I just needed to wait for you to open a few portals so I could triangulate your position' Rebecca replied. 'This was the only Spa in the area and I know you need to keep the girls you liberate in water at first' she continued, 'I also know you've been keeping up your underground railroad from Oden Tal, getting girls like these to safety' she said, indicating the others. 'I'm here to offer you a proposition' Rebecca told her with a smile.

'What do you know of Oden Tal? How do you know my name?' Jhiera demanded to know.

'My dad mentioned you in a story, that's how I first heard your name' Rebecca replied, 'as for Oden Tal I know it's a dimension populated by the Vigorie Demon Clan and that you are a Princess of that Clan' she said. 'For last five years or so you've been rescuing the females of your race from their homeworld because when they reach physical and sexual maturity the males cut off those ridges on their backs and turn them into docile, subservient domestic slaves' she continued, 'all your psychic powers and freewill resides in a neural cluster back there you call your "Ko" so once it's chopped out no pyrokenesis and no backchat to threaten male dominance.'

'You are well informed' Jhiera replied suspiciously.

'Dad often overdid the detail in the bedtime stories' Rebecca replied with another smile. 'Look I'm here to help' she said. 'How would you like to free all the women of your world?' she asked enticingly.

'Why should I listen to you?' Jhiera asked dismissively. 'A human? A commoner?'

'Because I am neither' Enyo replied, talking over from Rebecca and morphing their appearance, eyes, skin and hair colour shifting to blue and red. 'I am Enyo, God-Princess of the Holocene' she declared.

'I have heard rumours of you' Jhiera told Enyo, reacting less dramtically to the change than her companions did. The other Vigorie demons were rather more startled, they might be able to start fires with their mind but this was some seriously weird shit by anyone's estimation they thought.

'My allies and I are fortunately not obliged to remain as low-profile as yourself' Enyo replied. 'You live in fear of discovery by your enemies whereas our enemies live in fear of discovery by _us_' she said.

Jhiera looked at the other Demon Princess doubtfully. 'You say you offer us aid, why would you do that?'

'Pesky human conscience' Enyo replied with a regretful sigh. 'The little voice in the back of my head telling me to do the right thing is far less figurative for me than most' she said with a shrug, 'it nags and nags and eventually I give in' she continued. 'You know of the Slayers?' Enyo asked.

'Of course, they hunt our kind' Jhiera replied. 'They are best avoided' she said.

'They only hunt demons directly hostile to them or those that harm humans' Enyo corrected her. 'Several clans are forming an alliance with the new Council, the Vingis for example, you could do so as well' she said. 'If you were to make an approach, perhaps asking Angel to intercede on your behalf, I doubt you would be rebuffed' Enyo told her. 'With slayer assistance and aid you could save many of your sisters from their fate' she told Jhiera, 'the males of your world would _deeply_ regret a confrontation with their forces' Enyo earnestly observed.

'Angel?'Jhiera repeated, then smiled remembering. 'He was a great champion for the people of this world' she said. 'Noble and heroic' she continued, recalling their encounters.

'He dates a werewolf these days' Enyo told her. 'As a warning they can be highly territorial and possessive of their mates' she counselled. She knew Vigorie Demon females seemed to provoke a reaction with human males, it wasn't just their exotic looks they also had pheromones which pushed all the right hormonal levers.

'Why should I seek contact through Angel, why not yourself?' Jhiera asked.

'Buffy the leader of the Slayers dislikes me and the feeling is frankly mutual' Enyo replied, 'it would be best for you if I was not involved though I can promise you support from within the slayer ranks themselves' she said. 'My conscience has a seat on the Advisory Council and can help support your case' she explained. 'Also while you may not know or trust me I assume you accept Angel as fair and just.'

Jhiera nodded. 'I would' she replied.

'Here's his card' Enyo told her, taking one from a pocket and handing it over. 'You'll need to book an appointment, make sure to spell your name out slowly for the girl that answers the phone' she advised.

'Why does he use a picture of a moth as an emblem?' Jhiera wanted to know, looking at the Angel Investigations card in mystification.

'Make sure to ask him that' Enyo replied, inwardly laughing along with Rebecca. This was going very well, they thought. Once the slayer rank-and-file learned of female oppression on this scale going on they would likely clamour not merely for assisting Jhiera in her cause in a limited fashion but perhaps a full-scale campaign against the ultimate in patriarchal societies that Oden Tal represented. The Vigorie females were outwardly so close to human that the slayers would immediately identify with them and surely empathise with their plight.

It would take little persuasion to have the girls howling for intervention, Enyo knew. Planning and ideally leading a short, sharp, campaign to topple the government of Oden Tal, deposing the King and putting his daughter Jhiera on the throne, would be another opportunity for Illyria to shine, bolstering her status and image among the slayers still further whilst making the dimension of Oden Tal another slayer protectorate like Northern Pylea.

The slayers position on the wider stage would be strengthened, the women of Oden Tal liberated, Buffy likely weakened in authority once again in relation to Illyria and moreover given there was a fine line between foreign intervention on moral grounds and empire this would hopefully edge the slayers closer towards the idea that a wide swathe of the multiverse would be better off under their control.

It was win, win all around Enyo thought happily as she envisioned Oden Tal as a puppet state of the reborn empire of Illyria, with herself as General of the most elite of the Slayer Legions. Recruiting a few thousand Vigorie females to fight the Turok-Han would be useful too, she realised, girls who could set them on fire with a little concentration would make truly excellent support troops.

* * *

_**Note from the Author:**_

_Princess Jhiera and the Vigorie Demons of the dimension of Oden Tal were featured in episode 1:13 of Angel. They seemed like the ideal candidate for slayer overseas (cross-dimensional) intervention and one Enyo would seek to exploit._

_As of this chapter the Compelled Series is now longer than Tolstoy's War and Peace... quite a milestone I thought!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**Shadow Valley – California – October 2005**

Jhiera turned around in her chair and pushed her hair aside to show the back of her neck and the start of the ridges that ran down her back from there. Turning back she placed one of the metal cutting tools used to remove them onto the War Room conference table. 'The men snip off the girls Ko with one of these once she reaches maturity' she told them. 'It is the centre of her power and free will' she continued, 'without it she is docile and subservient, as they wish her to be' she said.

'We've got detailed files on the Vigorie Clan within our database' Knox spoke up, he was there as scientific advisor. 'What they call their "Ko" is actually an outgrowth from the spinal cord containing another mass of cerebral tissue separate from the primary brain' he said. 'It only deals with secondary functions so you can remove chunks of it without killing the subject' he explained. 'You can burn out sections of a human brain and radically alter their personality too' he noted 'what happens to the Vigorie females is not too dissimilar from a frontal lobotomy in principle' he told them, 'though the effects are even more radical' he added.

Buffy blinked, she was still trying to get to grips with the concept but it horrified her so much it was hard to accept. 'They cut out part of the girl's brain?' she asked slowly in dismay, looking around the room. It was a well attended meeting with Angel sat next to Jhiera having vouched for her and most of her senior staff and advisors present, at least those Buffy wanted present anyhow. Faith had come up from LA too but neither Illyria nor Enyo were there, which was almost always for the good in Buffy's opinion, those two always had their own agendas.

'Yes' Jhiera confirmed. 'She loses her ability to fight back as well as the desire to do so' she said. 'I have already demonstrated the innate power of my people, what you call pyrokinesis' she continued, 'this also resides within the Ko and is cut out with the flesh to ensure that they are rendered completely harmless' she explained.

Willow felt physically ill, it made the notion of demons merely killing and eating you seem almost acceptable by comparison. 'It's like taking their soul away' she said.

'Their self rather than their soul' Jhiera corrected her, 'we believe the Ko is restored in the afterlife' she told them. 'That may be a means to make it sound more acceptable to the younger girls however' she theorised, 'another means of control designed to reduce resistance to the tradition' she said. 'Our religious texts _were_ written by men after all.'

'Sounds familiar' Medusa observed, directing a glare at Knox who happened to be the man most directly in her line of sight and she didn't like him much anyway.

'Hey don't look at me like that' Knox defended himself, 'I worship a demon goddess not some patriarchal deity' he pointed out. 'Look scythes at _him_' he suggested, indicating Stirling sat beside her.

Stirling straightened up in his chair. 'I may indeed be an unreconstructed male chauvinist Sir, a product of my upbringing and rather too set in my ways to change now' the old man admitted, 'but frankly the idea of women being mindless docile pets is one I find utterly abhorrent' he stated forcefully. 'Even putting the inexcusable immorality aside it would be bloody boring if nothing else' he said. Arguing with the infuriating gorgon woman was often the only reason he bothered to get out of bed in the morning these days, not least in part because she wasn't above pulling the sheets off him.

'I was clearly working the wrong dimensions in my Vengeance Demon days' Anya said thoughtfully. 'I could have done good works in Oden Tal' she decided. 'Stuff I could have looked back on now with a certain pride.'

'You were a Vengeance Demon?' Jhiera asked curiously. 'Freelance?' she asked.

'No I worked for D'Hoffryn' Anya replied.

'I did not think it was possible to leave his service and live' Jhiera queried. Her father as ruler of Oden Tal had told her of many of his counterparts in other dimensions, the Demon Lord of Arashmahaar being one of them.

'You just need the right friends' Anya replied. 'Vengeance is only the _second_ most important thing in his life, staying alive to enjoy his work comes first' she explained.

'We told him to leave her alone or else' Xander interjected. 'We've got a good line in "or else" these days' he added.

'It must be nice to have friends with such power that even the powerful fear to cross them' Jhiera said. 'I have come here to plead that you bring that power to bear for the sake of my sisters' she requested directly of Buffy before looking down at the table, averting her eyes. 'If you wish I will beg on my knees' she offered reluctantly.

'I think you've got me confused with someone else' Buffy told her, Illyria might get off on people swearing fealty but even being called "Ma'am" by some of the girls made her uncomfortable. 'I didn't think a Princess would do something like that?'

'My pride matters less than my people' Jhiera replied softly. 'I abandoned my family and my position for them, my dignity is another sacrifice worth paying if it means I can help them.'

'Nobility in its purist sense I would argue' Giles observed. 'However, playing devil's advocate for a moment, how is this our problem?' he asked, avoiding eye-contact with the demon female. 'Our resources are not unlimited and I'm sure if we went looking around the multiverse we could find near limitless candidates for intervention on moral grounds' he said.

'This isn't like Pylea where we had greater local support and an opportunity to recoup some of our expenses' Anya said. 'This will drain our finances significantly' she told them. 'If you give me a couple of days I could run a cost-benefit analysis based on short-to-medium term expenditure versus the long-term possibility of recruiting pyrokinetics to fight vampires' she offered.

'Only if I can get a one page summary' Buffy replied.

'This is not like rendering aid to humans on an alternate Earth' Giles continued. 'If I am interpreting our guests appeal correctly she is asking us to provide large-scale military assistance to overthrow an established non-human culture.'

'Illyria came up with a basic invasion plan at the Hyperion but she says she still needs to work out the occupation plan too before finalising anything' Angel announced. 'One idea she had was borrowing a couple of PDF Regiments from Cordelia to help lock down the capital.'

'I do not wish to see my people conquered' Jhiera interrupted him, 'I wish to see the half of them who are enslaved and mutilated to be saved from that fate from now on' she said earnestly. The idea of foreign troops on the streets of her home town was distasteful even if they were there to support her own position.

Knox crossed his arms. 'Okay I know I'm _still_ thought of as an outsider but have you all considered that the people of Oden Tal are living according to their own way of life?' he asked rhetorically. 'The Princess here is asking us to forcibly change their entire way of life and we're only considering it because we don't approve of their cultural traditions' he said. 'One thing they used to teach us as part of our induction courses at Wolfram and Hart was that we shouldn't try to hold demon societies or behaviour to human standards' he told the group.

'You're not fucking defending these pricks are you?' Faith asked angrily.

'No' Knox denied, 'what happens to girls there is sick but it's _their_ world' he said. 'There are plenty of Hell Dimensions that would think Earth was a depraved society because with a few exceptions, again my former employers come to mind, we don't offer child sacrifice anymore' he pointed out. 'Jhiera and the small number of followers she has are the tiny minority, they don't represent their society they're just the part _we_ think is right.'

'Which brings us to cultural relativism' Giles commented, 'it's opening a can of worms I agree.'

Faith leaned forward. 'When the girls hear about what happens to girls their age in this shit-hole dimension they won't be worrying about offending these jerks, they'll be after their blood' she said. 'They look too much like we do to ignore it.'

Jhiera couldn't help but be quietly amused by the irony here. Her people's strong physical similarity to humans had often led other demons to regard them as being inferior but it was precisely that which would help her now. It was simply easier to empathise with someone if they looked like you. 'I can bring other girls I have rescued from Oden Tal to meet your slayers' she said. 'You will see that they only wish for their younger sisters still at home not to have to face the choice they did of fleeing their world or losing their free-will.'

Stirling looked around then smiled. 'If I may be permitted an old mans ramblings I believe I may have an anecdote that has some application here' he said, looking to Buffy who nodded her permission. 'I think that any reluctance for us to intervene in this matter is largely due to two different reservations' he began. 'The first is that a full-scale invasion and open-ended occupation of Oden Tal is both a diversion of resources and a tad to close to imperialist adventurism to stomach, and the second is that we are trying to enforce our subjective morality on another people many or perhaps most of whom are happy with the status quo' he said.

'Wordier than I would have gone for but sounds about right' Buffy agreed.

'I recall my father once telling me of an incident in India back when it was under British control' Stirling said. 'A British Army officer and some of his men were travelling across the country when they came across a funeral about to be conducted with the deceased to be burned atop a pyre still under construction' he continued. 'Now an occasional practice of the time in India was for the wife of the deceased to play a rather more central role in the ceremony than her equivalent in our culture' he told them. 'The widow was burned alive along with her husband's corpse.'

'You're shitting me?' Faith asked incredulously.

'It's true, they called it suttee' Giles told her. 'Sometimes it was supposedly voluntary but I doubt that was true in the majority of cases' he added.

Stirling nodded. 'So as I was saying the British Officer came across this funeral being prepared and being rather shocked to find out the details he told the organisers it wasn't going to happen while he was there to stop it' he continued. 'Now the local dignitaries remonstrated with him for a while and told him it was a centuries old custom of their people and he had no right to interfere so eventually he relents and tells them to go ahead if they want.'

'He let them burn the woman?' Willow asked in shock.

'It didn't quite work out that way my dear' Stirling replied. 'You see what he actually told them was that _his_ people had age-old customs too and that one of them was when men burned women alive it was called murder and they got hanged for it' he said. 'Then he told them that they could continue to build their funeral pyre and that meanwhile he'd have his men build a gallows nearby and if they wanted to go ahead with their custom then they could, but immediately afterwards he and his soldiers would go ahead with their own.'

'So what happened?' Buffy asked.

'Well wouldn't you know but while they thought keeping up the tradition valued more than the widow's life oddly enough they didn't think it was worth _theirs_' Stirling told her.

'No shit' Faith responded, less than surprised by that predictable revelation.

'Ms. Summers I would argue that some cultural traditions are so abhorrent that they are not deserving of respect' Stirling told her. 'Just because burning widows or lobotomising teenage girls may have been long established in a society does not mean they are any more morally excusable now than they were the first time they were done' he said. 'We may be foisting our values on other worlds as young Knox said but if you'll excuse my language I'm buggered if I care because some things are just bloody wrong' he declared.

Angel frowned 'And as for resources being an objection we don't need to invade Oden Tal' he realised. 'We just need to get them to give up the tradition' he told her.

'How?' Buffy asked.

'They cut the girls because they fear them being independent and powerful' Angel replied. 'We need to make them less afraid of that than they are of what we'll do to them if they don't stop.'

Willow looked around. 'Um... isn't that a bit like terrorism?' she asked.

'Now now Miss Rosenburg, The T-Word has such negative connotations' Stirling chided her.

**Wolfram and Hart Building – Los Angeles – October 2005**

Baal Berith, Lord of the Covenant, Mage and Warrior Demon of the Late Primordium Age finished reading the reports from Inhuman Resources and moved onto the latest activity projections from Ritual Sacrifice. 'I can't believe the price of goats these days' he complained, checking the outgoings.

'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord' Lilah quoted, walking into his office unannounced and uninvited as always. Apart from his personal assistant Tamika she was the only person allowed to get away with that, the last time Hamilton tried Berith had broken his nose.

'Leviticus' Berith responded, 'Jehovah used to be more fun' he remarked. 'I always liked Judges 1:19 the most though.'

'And the Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron' Lilah remembered, it was good policy to know the texts of the opposition.

'Israelites fighting Canaanites' Berith explained. 'Guess which god those Canaanites worshipped.'

'You' Lilah replied, that was a no brainer.

'Oh yes, but now guess who took human form to lead the chariot charge that sent Jehovah's boys running home to mommy' Berith said.

'You're kidding?' Lilah responded in surprise.

Berith grinned. 'Nope' he said.

'We'll have to put that on your corporate résumé' Lilah decided.

'Nah, I don't like to boast about it' Berith told her. 'It's usually good for a free drink when I tell the story at a Senior Partners get-together though' he said before pointing to the paperwork. 'Switch from doves to pigeons' he advised, 'not as classy but a sacrifice is a sacrifice and they're cheaper' he told her.

'I'll let the department know' Lilah replied, reaching forward to turn around a picture frame which she hadn't seen before. 'How sweet' she said with a slight smirk, turning it back.

'She's my daughter' Berith stated defensively, returning the picture of Enyo to the exact position it had been originally.

'Perhaps we should arrange proper visitation rights' Lilah deadpanned. 'I think we've got some family law experts down on third that could put together something by tomorrow at the latest.'

'You enjoy baiting me don't you?' Berith asked. 'Testing the boundaries, seeing how far you can push me before all those Old One instincts kick in and I kick you through a wall.'

'You should hear the things I say to Hamilton' Lilah responded. 'If he didn't think you'd kill him I'd have probably been decapitated again by now' she said. 'You _would_ kill him right?' she checked.

'Nobody kills what's mine but me' Berith confirmed.

Lilah raised her eyebrows. 'Since when did I become your property?' she asked indignantly. 'I'm an employee not a minion.'

'You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to' Berith responded. 'We can call the whole thing off if you like and you can go back to that pocket hell-dimension the Wolf, Ram and Hart put you in after you died.'

'I say to-mah-to as well' Lilah said after a few seconds consideration.

'Glad you see things my way' Berith replied, 'well apart from the fact that your definition of "visible light" doesn't stretch as far into Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet as mine' he joked.

'Just as long as you don't expect me to bow and scrape and call you master' Lilah told him.

'Generally when I think of you calling me master you've got black leather on' Berith replied.

Lilah looked him in the eyes. 'I'm not playing hard to get boss, voluntarily I'm _impossible_ for you to get' she declared.

'Ah but you know I love a challenge' Berith replied, 'and now you know the chariot thing too' he continued, 'before you know it we'll be finishing each others sentences and Enyo will have a stepmother.'

Lilah opened her mouth to retort then she stopped. 'Oh that's not a good thought' she said with a grimace.

'Most girls would be happy to land themselves a good-looking deity with a steady job' Berith responded.

'No you don't understand' Lilah told him. 'We know from our seers that Illyria is supposed to be Arthur.'

'The Once and Future God-King who slept in Avalon, or rather the original Annfwn meaning "very deep" as in the deeper well' Berith agreed. 'Prophecy is usually all mixed up' he said from personal experience. 'You're watcher ex-boyfriend is Guinevere which is damn funny' he opined with a grin.

'Right so if Illyria is Arthur what does that make Enyo?' Lilah asked.

Berith looked thoughtful. 'Mordred I suppose' he said.

'In some stories Arthur's son with his sister, the sorcerer _Morgan_ le Fay' Lilah pointed out. 'They were right about Arthur's other parent being a Mage but they got the other part wrong.'

'They got all the characters mixed up' Berith realised. 'So maybe Morgan le Fay isn't Mordred's mother, she's Mordred's _step_-mother and Morgan le Fay didn't sleep with Arthur she slept with Guinevere.'

'The only one they got the gender and the name right for was me' Lilah said. '_Step-mother_?' she added after a pause.

'I'm _not_ planning to propose' Berith reassured her. 'Unlike my blue-coloured cousin I'm not looking for romance with primates' he said. 'And of course Mordred's parents were cousins from related clans instead of siblings' he added with a sigh.

'There's like a grain of truth running through it' Lilah observed. 'Which could be greatly to our advantage' she added.

'Mordred betrays Arthur' Berith remembered, looking to his picture of Enyo.

Lilah crossed her arms. 'Maybe you _should_ spend more time with her' she suggested.

'Family _is_ important' Berith agreed.

**Kings Chamber – Oden Tal – October 2005**

The first guard who leaped forward and tried to attack was instantly blocked in the attempt and then thrown against the stone wall opposite hard enough to break several ribs as he bounced off. One must have punctured a lung because he started coughing up blood almost immediately.

'I wouldn't try that again any of you' Buffy told the King and his ministers who were sat around a large round table staring incredulously at the small group of six females who had dropped through a portal directly into the midst of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Privy Council. 'She had her heart set on invading, not just this friendly social visit' she continued. 'Girl's looking to kill something' she told them, indicating the annoyed looking red-haired blue-eyed demon.

'With a sneak attack we could have crushed this realm in a matter of weeks' Enyo growled. 'If this doesn't work it'll be harder because we're giving them time to prepare' she told Buffy, looking to Faith for support but not finding it for once.

'Do you have any idea of the collateral damage, the civilian casualties we would cause if we portalled hundred's of girls here and started smashing up the city?' Willow asked rhetorically. 'Naughty, naughty' she said, turning her head and lifting another guard into the air telekinetically, her eyes turning black as she did. 'He was thinking about attacking us' she explained to Buffy. It was a naked display of power designed to intimidate the locals and it was working.

'So I guess you're the King' Buffy asked, looking at the best dressed of the group.

'I am, who are you?' the Vigorie Demon asked.

'Think of us as Girl Power Incarnate' Buffy told him. 'Your daughter Jhiera sent us' she told him.

'What do you know of Jhiera?' the King demanded to know.

'Not much except we sympathise with her goals' Buffy replied. 'This is a warning, if you don't stop cutting the girls of this world we will be back every few days until you do and you won't like it when we visit' she said.

'Are you threatening me?' the King asked angrily.

'Yes' Buffy replied. 'Now I know you guys have been doing this for a while, turning your women into the Stepford Wives I mean, but we don't like it' she said. 'And that means you're going to stop.'

'The females are unmade for the good of Oden Tal' one of the ministers declared. 'It's obvious from your very presence here the dangers of allowing women to...' he continued before Enyo became a blur grabbed him pulled him off the chair and threw him to the ground on his back. She flipped him over and reaching into a pocket emerged with a cutting tool.

'No you can't' the King exclaimed, realising what the demon was about to do.

'Watch me' Enyo replied and putting one knee on his back proceeded to snip off the first ridge of the mans Ko as he screamed.

Willow grimaced and turned away as Enyo continued to lobotomise the male Vigorie.

'That's the warning' Buffy told them. 'As long as you continue to do that to the girls we will do it to you' she said. 'You can't stop us, check around, we've got a rep.'

Enyo finished and pocketed the cutting tool again. 'This one is now ready for a life of drooling and following simple instructions' she said, getting up.

'That was barbaric' the King said.

'Yes it was' Buffy agreed, 'glad you think so to, so stop fucking doing it' she told him.

'Men are different from...' another member of the Privy Council began.

'This one too?' Enyo asked, pointing at him.

'That one too' Buffy confirmed as Enyo grabbed him and began to repeat the procedure, the Vigorie struggled completely in vain as she took out the cutting tool once again. 'Are we learning yet?' Buffy asked the others sarcastically.

The King got to his feet. 'What right do you have to do this?' he asked.

'We have the _power _to do this which is the only authority _you_ ever had to butcher your own sisters and daughters' Buffy replied as the second example being made started to scream.

'You cut them we cut you' Faith told him once the screaming stopped. 'The difference is you deserve it and they don't' she added.

'We could have come to Oden Tal, wiped out your armies and hung you all from a rope but we didn't' Buffy said. 'We're giving you a choice which is more than you give the girls here' she continued. 'If doing what you do to them is really so important to your society you'll all be willing to risk us doing it to you' she said.

'It's our duty to do what is best for Oden Tal' the King said.

'True, you just have to re-think what that is' Buffy told him. 'But think fast because we'll be back soon' she told him. 'Willow you've got the portal orb, dial up our Earth and we'll go home.'

'I'd rather stick around and portal home myself later' Enyo told her.

'No you're coming back with us' Buffy replied.

'One town, I'll lay waste to one small town to let them know we're serious' Enyo said.

'No' Buffy told her forcefully.

'A village' Enyo practically pleaded.

Faith looked at her sternly. 'Aunty B said no' she said.

'But Mom...'

'Discussion is over' Faith said firmly.

'I bet Dad would let me' Enyo muttered. 'Or my father' she added as Willow used the portal device to open a vortex back to Shadow Valley.

'Sorry I think she was looking forward to a good war' Faith apologised to Buffy as they prepared to step on through.

* * *

_**Note from the Author:**_

_If you're interested I've commisioned a piece of artwork depicting Enyo which can be seen on Twisting the Hellmouth, simply use the link on my profile page and go to Chapter 8 of High Stakes there._

_Reviews are always appreciated :-)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

**Hyperion Hotel – Los Angeles – October 2005**

Rebecca realised something was up when after being asked to come up onto the hotel roof for a chat by her father she found Faith and Illyria there too, all three of them looking like they had something they wanted to talk to her about. 'I swear, that dent in the car was there before I borrowed it Dad' she told Wesley.

'What dent in the car?' Wesley asked quickly before a look from Faith cut him off. 'We're not here to talk about the car' he told the girl. Well we will be taking about it later he made a mental note to himself. 'We're here to talk about you.'

'What have or haven't I done?' Rebecca asked in confusion.

'It's about your attitude' Illyria told her, 'and general behaviour on occasion.'

Rebecca looked from one to the other. 'You're kidding?' she asked. 'What am I, a six year old being given a dressing down?'

'As a matter of fact it's the acting like a pre-teen that's the issue' Wesley told her. 'We've all noticed you behaving strangely on occasion but we've always attributed it to the fact that you're well...'

'Strange' Faith finished his sentence.

'Indeed' Wesley agreed, 'but your split personality and human-demon hybridisation doesn't seem to explain everything you do and we're increasingly wondering about your...'

'Stability' Illyria interrupted him this time.

'Right' Wesley confirmed, 'but would you both stop doing that' he told Illyria and Faith sharply, both looking sheepish in response to his objection to them interrupting. 'The fact is Rebecca your behaviour is occasionally quite infantile and given that you are far from being an infant we would like to know if you can explain it.'

Rebecca's cheeks turned red and not because Enyo was changing her skin tones. 'I try really hard to stop it or hide it but sometimes it just gets out' she said, clearly embarrassed. 'It gets worse when we're upset or emotional, we lose a little more control' she told them.

'Upset and emotional?' Faith repeated, 'is that why you acted like a spoiled brat who had her toys taken away when we were on Oden Tal and B wouldn't let you kill a few people?' she asked. 'I had to apologise for you to Buffy, I really didn't need to be apologising to her about something else especially something that wasn't even my fault' she said. Faith had enough guilt and things to apologise to people for already.

'Yeah, sorry about that' Rebecca confirmed, 'but that was more Enyo than me she suffers far more from it than I do' she said with a grimace.

'What is it that you and my daughter are suffering from?' Illyria wanted to know.

'Childhood memories' Rebecca replied, looking away. This had been a conversation she had been hoping to avoid indefinitely if possible.

'I'm sorry, would you care to explain?' Wesley asked.

Rebecca turned back and looked into his eyes. 'My childhood memories are too strong' she said, 'it makes me behave like a child sometimes' she told him.

'The shell?' Illria queried.

'Right, you've got Auntie Fred's memories and they affect you right?' Rebecca replied. 'Same thing but a whole lot worse' she explained.

'I do _not_ behave like Fred as an infant' Illyria stated forcefully.

Rebecca shrugged. 'You've got your own memories too' she pointed out, 'thousands of years worth' she continued, 'the only memories Enyo has are _my_ memories so she's not insulated from the shell like you are by an entirely separate existence' she said.

'But you were already an adult when Enyo came along' Wesley reminded her.

Rebecca crossed her arms. 'Yes but to Enyo _all_ my memories are accessed in the same way, they don't fade over time, if it was stored in my head, even just my subconscious, she's got it which means I get it reinforced too' she said. 'I've got much better recall than you do Dad but all those vivid childhood memories that mould who we are don't get put to the back of my head like they would normally, they're harder to put out of my mind' she told him.

'And when you lose focus they leak' Illyria reasoned.

'Yeah, and suddenly my personality regresses' Rebecca replied. 'I get a grip again after a while, they're still controllable mostly' she said. 'It's probably a good thing you were all such good parents' she said. 'If my childhood had been as bad as yours Mom, or yours Dad, you'd have something a lot worse to deal with than me being a petulant child sometimes' she told Faith and Wesley.

Faith groaned. 'Oh Jesus, you were having a hissy fit on Oden Tal' she realised.

'I used to throw a tantrum if I didn't get my own way' Rebecca replied, blushing bright red again. 'You and Dad were probably over-indulgent, it stopped eventually, mainly because Illyria told you that you needed to set proper boundaries and I was bratty, but by then a lot of the damage was done, the memories were in here' she said, tapping the side of her head.

'They fuck you up your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had, and add some extra, just for you' Faith quoted. 'Shit' she swore.

'Not quite the way Larkin saw it working methinks but there you go' Wesley replied, he had told her the verse once. 'Does this all sound reasonable to you?' he asked Illyria.

'The personality and memories of the shell _have_ changed me considerably and Rebecca is correct that this was despite my own memories being there also' Illyria replied. 'Enyo and Rebecca share the same recollections and with Rebecca's soul in there to increase the pressure of adopting human tendencies on Enyo her story does not sound implausible even if it does sound extremely unfortunate.'

Rebecca's appearance morphed into Enyo. 'Mother you have no idea' she said, shaking her head sadly. 'It's too humiliating for words' she continued. 'I am usually successful in holding back childish urges or responses but much as with my failure to master teleportation or portal travel I have yet to conquer my limitations.'

'Try harder Illyria ordered, 'double and redouble your efforts' she commanded authoritatively. 'I will expect progress reports every year and real improvement before the century is up' she said.

'Yes Mother' Enyo responded, bowing her head.

Wesley moved across to the girl and put his arms around her. 'You should have told us this before' he told her. 'It's perfectly okay to talk out your problems with your family' he said, then whispered in her ear 'Frankly on the mental stability front I'm _still_ not convinced you're the one with the most flaws' he told her.

'Thanks Dad' Enyo replied and hugged him, being careful not to break any ribs. She knew they were only the shells memories but she loved him and it made her feel better. After a few seconds they broke away and Enyo faced Faith, 'If you wish to hug too Mom I will relinquish control to Rebecca, we both understand if you do not' she told her.

Faith thought about it. 'I think you're the one that might need it more' she said and hugged Enyo.

'I hope this touchy-feely crap is not a sign of things to come' Illyria declared. 'My instincts are to beat you soundly until you are strong willed enough to overcome all your psychological weaknesses' she told Enyo.

Wesley laughed. 'I'm reminded of the phrase "The beatings will continue until morale improves" as a method of encouraging personnel' he said.

Illyria looked at him askance. 'That policy always worked very well in my Army' she informed him flatly.

**Ruined Castle – Eastern Ukraine – November 2005**

Molly kicked open the heavy wooden doors that barred their way and stepped through into the dank and dilapidated remains of what had once been the castles Great Hall. 'Looks like we're in the right place Scouse' she told the girl standing next to her as they looked over the residents. Both had a pistol crossbow ready in one hand and their slayer scythes in the other. It was night time and the hall was lit by flaming torches on the walls, it was all suitably gothic and only needed a few howling wolves in the distance for atmosphere.

'Was it the fangs or the skin complexion that gave it away? Natasha asked wryly as the dozen or so vampires began readying themselves to pounce on the intruders in their master's lair.

'The smell' Molly replied, 'it's so strong it's overpowering that perfume you drowned yourself in' she told the other English slayer. 'DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?' she asked the vampires slowly and loudly, the standard approach of a Brit abroad seeking to communicate with the locals. 'WE WANT YOUR BOSS-MAN' she continued, 'PALE SKINNY BLOKE IN A BLACK CAPE' she explained.

Natasha resisted the urge to drop her crossbow and give Molly a clip around the ear. 'We're in a castle by an abandoned village in Eastern bloody Europe not some bar in Benidorm' she pointed out instead.

'Forgive my servants' a man with a suave Slavic accent interrupted. 'They don't know how to treat guests' he said apologetically, appearing from a side room and waving his vampire minions away.

'It's bleeding Dracula!' Molly whispered to Natasha.

'In the undying flesh' the Count told them, easily overhearing her with his enhanced senses. 'You are slayers I assume?' he asked politely.

'Right' Molly confirmed. 'We've been looking for you for ages' she told him.

'Checked out half the sodding castles on the continent' Natasha moaned, exaggerating a fair deal given the sheer number that littered Europe from the Atlantic to the Ural Mountains.

Dracula smiled. 'Both English, one from London and the other from Liverpool' he said. 'You would be Molly and Natasha then?' he asked knowingly.

Molly couldn't help but grin. 'Count Dracula has heard of us!' she said. 'We're famous' she told her colleague.

'Young Lady you are _infamous_ among my kind' Dracula responded. 'The two most feared slayers in the whole of Europe' he said. 'Kudos' he added, clapping ironically.

'So much for that Scottish tart Leah thinking she's got a better rep than me' Natasha remarked happily. 'Go on, stop looking like you're going to ask his autograph and get on with it' she told Molly, poking her friend with an elbow.

'Yeah right' Molly said awkwardly, shuffling her feet. 'Sorry it's just that I've seen all your movies' she told the vampire.

'I get it all the time' Dracula responded sympathetically. 'And for the record I have _never_ had hair remotely as stupid as Gary Oldman did in that miserable excuse for a film they had the temerity to call "Bram Stoker's Dracula" like it was worthy of the name' he said with some passion. 'If I had turned poor Bram as well as helping with his book he would have eviscerated the director I assure you' he told them. 'Now Christopher Lee' he continued, 'now _there_ was an actor who could play me properly' he declared.

'Okay, but does Peter Cushing do a good Van Helsing?' Natasha found herself asking.

Dracula thought about it for a moment. 'Adequate' he said eventually. 'Better than Hugh Jackman anyway' he decided.

'Shit that reminds me' Molly remembered, 'Amanda emailed me and said Knox is still having problems getting the fully-automatic crossbow working but he thinks it'll be ready by Christmas' she told Natasha.

'Wicked' Natasha responded enthusiastically. 'Sorry I've wanted one ever since I saw it on the film last year' she told Dracula.

'The young always like their toys, I prefer the dignity and tradition of a good old-fashioned wooden stake in a slayer's hand' Dracula commented.

'Kinda phallic don't you think?' Molly asked then blushed when Dracula looked at her in surprise. 'Well the whole vampire thing _is_ all about penetration and seduction when you think about it' she continued. 'All that Freudian stuff I mean.'

Natasha groaned. 'I swear, if Drogyn doesn't start shagging you soon you won't be able to say one sentence without bringing up sex' she said. 'You've got to get it out of your system' she stated seriously. 'And you _still_ need to tell him why we're here.'

'To try and kill me obviously' Dracula stated before throwing them an evil smile. 'Better vampire hunters than you have tried and failed' he told them.

'If you're so confident then why did you go to ground?' Molly asked with a smirk. 'All we found at your castle in Romania was a dwarf demon manservant that tried to bite my kneecaps off.'

'I hope you didn't injure Butterfield' Dracula replied. 'Good help is hard to find' he said.

'Little bastard threw bottles of wine at me and kept hiding under the furniture' Natasha complained. 'We had to beat the stuffing out of him and stuff him in a trunk.'

Dracula looked horrified, he hoped it wasn't the few remaining bottles of 1949 Château Latour from his cellar that were used as projectiles, the superior 1961 vintage was of course locked away. 'You realise that I will have to make an example of you' he told the slayers. 'You should have come here with more assistance' he advised. It had been concern of facing a veritable legion of slayers which had prompted him to flee his ancestral land and move from place to place seeking refuge since he heard they were hunting him. If he had known a mere two slayers would confront him he would have neither fled nor turned all these uncouth Ukrainian peasants into bodyguards. Dracula was not usually one to sire his help, he preferred to put humans under thrall or recruit sycophants. 'You are both quite comely' he observed, 'perhaps I will turn you and add you to my harem' he suggested enticingly.

'I blame Buffy for this impression vampires have that slayers want to screw them' Molly complained. 'Got an immortal boyfriend already' she said, 'one with a pulse' she added. 'So what do you think?' she asked Natasha.

'A dozen regular vamps, one master' the other English slayer replied, looking around. 'I don't like the odds' she said.

'Yeah but where is he going to get another score of the wankers to even things up?' Molly queried deadpan.

Dracula looked unimpressed by their attempt at humour. 'That joke is older than I am' he told her condescendingly. 'Your flippant attitude reminds me of your mistress Buffy Summers' he said with a look of irritation. 'European slayers should have more class' he opined. 'Leave the facetious comments to your colonial cousins, they do not become you.'

'Did he just accuse us of sounding like Septics?' Molly asked irately. Although Roger Wyndham-Pryce had been trying for some time with some success to improve her speech patterns, when annoyed her East London roots always rose to the surface and she would lapse into cockney rhyming slang.

'I think he bloody did' Natasha replied. 'All right, all together or one at a time it's all the same to me, I don't care' she told the vampires angrily, getting her scythe ready as Dracula's minions moved closer again.

'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' Molly joined in the challenge.

'Honestly you're both so uncouth' a third English girl interjected disparagingly, appearing between them, resting an assault rifle back against one shoulder. 'Count Dracula' she greeted the undead aristocrat with a slight bow.

'And you are?' Dracula asked.

'Lady Genevieve Savidge' the girl replied, her upper class accent bearing little resemblance to either of her companions.

'Ah, charmed I'm sure' Dracula replied, taking a respectful bow of his own. The formalities were important.

'We told you to wait outside in case we needed backup' Molly hissed.

'It's raining, its even colder out there than it is in here and I was bored' Savidge replied, checking her watch. 'I thought you would be done by now' she complained. Although supposedly "reformed" to the degree that she was generally no longer thought evil exactly she was still a snobby bitch in Molly's opinion. It had been quite a surprise to her when Genevieve Savidge had been amongst the team of gunslayers of European origin re-assigned to the London offices though living back on her estate.

'If we want you we'll call you' Natasha snapped at Savidge.

'Liverpudlian trollop' Savidge responded before turning to leave. 'Oh yes just one more thing' she continued, reaching into her jacket pocket. 'Close your eyes' she said, spinning and hurling something into the middle of the Great Hall. Dracula had just enough time to see it was a cylindrical metal container with marking on it before it exploded into a blinding flash of light and he burst into flames along with the other vampires, exploding into dust seconds later.

'For fuck's sake Savidge!' Molly yelled when she opened her eyes.

'Nasty case of sunburn you two have there' the aristocratic slayer told them with a smirk. 'Helios Grenade' she explained. 'A little less conversation and a little more action was called for I thought' she said. 'Also I believe your intended quarry is the dust that's reforming over there' she pointed out. 'Toodle-pip' she finished, walking away. If Dracula managed to get past them, which wouldn't be too surprising she thought, she would empty a magazines worth of Buckingham Incendiaries into him.

'I was looking forward to scything all those vampires' Natasha complained bitterly as Dracula reformed. It was a hell of a good trick she had to admit although one they knew to expect. A whole mini-army of vampires with the same transmogrification and resurrection abilities as Dracula had previously attacked Shadow Valley after all and although neither had been there they had seen the film footage taken.

'What was that infernal device?' Dracula exclaimed once he had gathered up both the dust that reformed and his wits.

'Techno-mystical gadget, sorta like a spell trapped in a tin-can' Molly told him. 'Sorry we _were_ going to do this old-school' she said, 'dust your lackeys then deal with you.'

'We've got some Holy Water to mix your dust with so we can send your sludge back to the States' Natasha told him. 'They'll dry you out again so you can reform once you're secured in a box.'

'It's a nice box on a plinth though, prize exhibit at the Slayer Museum' Molly informed Dracula as the two slayers advanced, aiming their pistol-crossbows at his heart. Each had a laser-sight which were projecting steady green dots on his chest.

'I am neither a trophy nor a tourist attraction' Dracula bellowed, vamping out. Both girls fired their crossbow bolts but he caught them both mid air, one in each hand then snapped them between his fingers, dropping the pieces to the ground.

'He's good' Molly enthused, dropping her pistol crossbow and activating the mechanism on her wrist that deployed a stake into her now empty hand. Natasha did likewise and they started to circle the now snarling master vampire, scythes and stakes ready.

When the village mayor had pleaded with them the day before not to go to the castle because there were Upir there, he being the only one who spoke English after learning it at the Language School in Kiev during his days in the Red Army, he had certainly not expected to see them again at least not in daylight. As dawn broke however he heard singing outside and looking out the window of his bedroom he saw the girls walking back down the path from the castle towards the hired car they had arrived in. They certainly seemed happy enough and were singing various songs in turn including something about "Who's the bastard in the black?" and "England till I die", or at least two of them were, the third just looked embarrassed at the possibility of being seen with them.

**Shadow Valley - California - November 2005**

It was certainly a grander occasion than the last time Xander decided as he waited at the front of the hall, stood alongside Willow. Both were wearing tuxedos and were under the direct scrutiny of perhaps five hundred guests sat in the rows of chairs that stretched to the back of the room.

'Nervous?' Willow whispered to him.

'Yes and not just because my life was threatened by Anya's Maid of Honour' Xander whispered back. 'What if this is all a big mistake? What if I'm a lousy husband?' he asked.

'Don't make me smack you upside the head Xander' Willow told him. 'I can do it telekinetically so none of the witnesses will know' she reminded him.

'Not the pep talk I was hoping for' Xander told her.

'I'm still getting over what you did at your bachelor party' Willow replied.

'The expression on your face when Kennedy popped out of that cake in a bikini' Xander replied, trying not to start laughing.

'I was supposed to be the one playing tricks on _you_' Willow complained. 'Still compared to what we got up to at Anya's Bachelorette party the night before it was really tame.'

Xander blinked. 'What happened?' he asked.

'I'm not saying' Willow replied smugly.

They had been putting the wedding off for months but eventually Anya had put her foot down and told Xander that if they weren't wed by 2006 she would leave him. Although he didn't truly believe she would her strength of feeling on the matter finally persuaded him that they should just get on with it and here they were. The county they were in was one of those in California that had the "Deputy for a Day" program in place that allowed ordinary people to officiate a marriage after filling in a form and being given some training. It was a purely one-shot temporary deal but to his surprise Robin Wood had found himself officiating a marriage and probably looked more nervous about the situation than Xander did. He was re-reading his notes for at least the hundredth time and inwardly praying that he wouldn't make a total mess of it in front of several hundred of his students.

At the request of Anya it was Friday, the day marriage ceremonies would occur in the Pagan Norse tradition being named after Frigga the fertility god. Over the past couple of years Anya had gradually come to adopt more of the faith of her upbringing again, and there were some things she thought needed to be done properly, she was the last Viking after all. Anya had also been extremely pleased that her friends had got the male stripper at her bachelorette party to do his routine in a nice fur and leather outfit carrying a plastic battleaxe, even if the horns on his helmet _was_ ahistorical nonsense, it showed they cared.

Xander admitted afterwards it all went through as a blur. He clearly remembered talking to Willow then it seemed like suddenly Anya was next to him and he was married. Willow did think she'd lost the ring for a second before she remembered which pocket she had put it in for "safe keeping" but other than that it all went smoothly with Robin Wood breathing a sigh of relief and reminding himself to tell anyone that ever asked again no deal.

Giles had looked extremely proud at giving away the bride but hoped it would be a while before he had to do it again, a thought that was reinforced when Emily of all people caught the blasted bouquet afterwards. On the plus side Stephen's immediate reaction had been "Oh bugger" which caused a wave of laughter and a scowl followed by a pout from Emily to be directed his way. The twins had looked very cute acting as bridesmaids he thought although Deborah had been her usual intransigent self when it came to getting their hair done and it had taken emotional blackmail from Anya to persuade them to have it the same way.

'So I guess the hard part for you comes next' Buffy told Willow as photographs were taken outside. It was a fine, sunny, auspicious day, and it was certainly good weather for Andrew to work with and he was clearly in charge of the picture taking, organising everyone in turn. 'Best mans speech' she reminded her.

'Don't remind me' Willow replied, swallowing nervously.

'Best thing about being a bridesmaid, no duties other than to look pretty' Buffy told her.

'It is a nice dress' Willow agreed, 'much better than last time.'

'Don't remind me' Buffy replied, 'getting ripped from heaven caused less long-lasting post-traumatic stress than that colour' she stated with a cringe. 'And you got to do the Marlene Dietrich thing' she continued. 'Very spiffy.'

'The black high-heels really sets it off' Willow agreed.

'So I guess that sorts out which one wears the pants in the relationship, you or Kennedy' Buffy joked.

'Was it ever in any doubt' Willow asked sweetly, 'she's only a slayer after all.'

'Hey' Buffy objected but grinned along with Willow. 'So where is Kennedy?' she asked, looking around.

'She was here a minute ago' Willow replied. 'Oh there she is with one of the guards from the gate.'

'Maybe they wanted to talk to someone senior and didn't want to interrupt us?' Buffy suggested. After herself and Faith who was standing further away with Wesley and the rest of the LA Crowd, Kennedy was considered the third ranked slayer in the organisation.

'She's running over' Willow noted. 'What's up sweetheart?' she asked her girlfriend brightly before her expression shifted to the concerned one on Kennedy's face. 'Xander's family didn't find out about the wedding did they?' They're not at the gate are they?' she asked in dismay. Xander had decided long ago not to invite any of them, he didn't need a repeat of the unfortunate events of last time.

Kennedy took a breath to steady herself. 'No it's...' she began, they closed her eyes. 'There's a girl at the gate' she said opening them again. 'She asked to see me but I think _you_ want to see her because I don't really know her' she said. 'She knows _me_ though' she added.

'Not making much sense here Ken' Buffy told her.

'She says she's portalled from another world, the wards we have up meant she appeared a couple of miles away because that was as close as she could get' Kennedy explained. 'She must know an alternate me' she said, 'she told the girls at the gate that she's my girlfriend where she comes from and she needs my help.'

'Your girlfriend?' Willow repeated, 'it's not another alternate me is it?' she asked.

'No' Kennedy replied, 'it's...' she paused, 'it's Tara' she said.

* * *

**_Note from the Author:_**

_This fanfic runs on reviews... and interesting plot twists ;-)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

**Shadow Valley - California - November 2005**

Tara looked up when the two new strangers entered. She had been waiting in the classroom for the last fifteen minutes with only the two unsmiling and taciturn girls stood by the door for company and her imagination had been running wild with her as she waited sat behind a school desk for something to happen.

'Ms. Tara Maclay?' the younger of the two men in expensive looking suits queried in an unmistakably British accent.

'Yes' Tara confirmed.

'You can call me Stephen' the young man told her. 'Would you mind standing up so my colleague can examine you?' he requested.

'Examine?' Tara repeated nervously.

'Nothing invasive, I'm just going to run this gadget over you' the other man told her, indicating a device he was carrying. 'I'm checking for the para-plasmic radioactivity people that travel through portals pick up along the way' he explained, his own accent indicating he was an American himself. 'You can call me Knox, everyone does' he added with a smile as he approached her.

'Radioactivity?' Tara exclaimed. 'He never said anything about radioactivity when he showed me the portal spell!' she said with obvious concern as she stood up.

'Don't worry it's not ionising and won't scramble your DNA' Knox reassured Tara as he walked around her, wafting the thing up and down her body though not coming into physical contact. 'There are definite signs of portal transference but the specific radiation signature is unknown' he reported, looking at the digital display screen. 'Not a dimension we've been to or was encountered in Enyo's Timeline either, we've got all of those on record' he told Stephen.

Tara felt something mildly familiar. 'Is that thing magical?' she asked, indicating the device. It had a hint of power about it she could sense.

'Techno-Mystical' Knox replied. 'Enchanted Cedrian Crystal built into a Geiger-Counter with a few extra gizmos that enable us to work out which alternate reality or dimension people have come from or visited' he said. 'She must have some magical ability to pick up on that and she's definitely human according to other readings' he told Stephen.

'What else would I be?' Tara asked in confusion.

'You could be a shape changing demon, or maybe a cyborg using a glamour spell' Stephen replied. 'Any one of a number of things in fact' he continued. 'You can't take appearances at face value' he told her.

'I'll check the readings I took in the lab to double-check my findings' Knox told Stephen, heading back out of the room. 'The gear in there is more accurate.'

'See you later perhaps' Stephen called out to him before moving to lean back against the teachers desk at the front of the classroom facing Tara. 'Please feel free to take your seat again Ms. Maclay' he told her. 'Hopefully this won't all take too long.'

Tara decided to remain standing. 'I asked to see Kennedy' she said with some determination. 'I don't know you.'

Stephen chuckled. 'Perhaps ironically _our_ Kennedy has never met you either which I assume is due to the divergence of our timelines at some point in the past' he replied. 'I'm afraid this is merely our new procedure when dealing with people from alternate universes' he told her. 'Given the possibility of emotional resonance, and the inherent danger of this being abused to nefarious purpose, we thought it wise to initially establish contact via those unencumbered by emotional baggage' he said, 'such as myself in this case.'

'You're a watcher' Tara observed. 'Only a _watcher_ talks that way with that accent' she stated with certainty.

'I'm Kennedy's watcher as it happens' Stephen told her. 'By a quirk of fate I'm apparently long dead in the vast majority of Alternate Earths by this point in time so it was considered a reasonably safe bet you wouldn't have met an alternate me in your own world.'

Tara nodded. 'I'm dead in this one aren't I?' she queried. 'I was told I was before I came here' she said.

'Yes I'm afraid the Tara Maclay in this reality passed a while ago' Stephen told her. 'Coincidentally you're also a statistical outlier like myself in that in most universes you're not alive by now either' he said. 'I'm sorry if this seems like an interrogation in any way but it's important that you answer a few questions we have.'

'Okay' Tara agreed. It wasn't like she had too many options but to be cooperative anyhow, she needed their help and wasn't entirely too sure how to get home on her own anyway.

Steven meshed his fingers. 'You mentioned earlier about not being told about the radiation caused by portal travel, and also just now that you were told about the death of your alternate self here' he noted. 'To whom are you referring regarding this information, or lack of information?' he inquired.

'A man named Whistler' Tara replied. 'Well I say he's a man but...'

'He's really a balance demon that works for the so-called Powers-That-Be' Stephen interrupted, frowning, unmeshing his fingers crossing his arms.

'You know him too?' Tara asked in surprise.

'We know him' Stephen replied in the affirmative. 'We aren't on particularly good terms with his organisation however' he told her flatly. 'Not hostility per se so much as a mutual distrust and wariness.'

'But you're the good guys right?' Tara asked, looking at him perplexed by his statement. The Powers had always helped her people, if not necessarily in a particularly constructive manner and the cryptic clues grated sometimes.

'Yes, that's _why_ we're not on good terms' Stephen responded. 'They're for the balance and we're frankly far too good at fighting evil' he explained. 'The PTB's only help you against the forces of darkness if it doesn't look like you're going to give them a sound and thorough thrashing' he said with a somewhat annoyed tone regarding that. 'They want order and balance whereas _we're_ pursuing ultimate victory with the scales tilted firmly in our favour for eternity, so our final goals are not compatible.'

'They've been helping _us_ fight evil' Tara told him.

'Then at the risk of sounding rude you couldn't have been doing very well at it' Stephen replied with a half smile and a slightly superior tone.

Tara opened her mouth to retort defensively before thinking it through and closing it again. 'No I suppose not' she conceded meekly. 'We were told by them to come here to get help from you' she said. 'Whistler gave me the portal spell required to get here.'

'You'll have to forgive me but it's prudent to beware trans-dimensional entities bearing gifts' Stephen responded. 'If _they_ want us involved in something it would be only sensible to suspect their motives in the matter' he said.

'Indeed' Giles agreed, walking in the door, his own suit even classier than the one Stephen was wearing, certainly a far cry from the ones Tara remembered him to favour. 'Hello Tara' he greeted her. 'I hope you'll forgive me listening in and not entering sooner' he said. 'You can go girls' he told the two stern looking guards at the door who nodded compliance and left.

'Mr Giles!' Tara exclaimed. 'I was hoping to see someone I knew' she added happily.

Giles looked at her, the same sweet girl he remembered but there was something in her eyes he didn't remember from their own Tara, a sadness was there and perhaps something darker too. 'I hope you'll forgive me interrupting Stephen but I've got some pressing questions of my own that need addressing with some urgency, the first of which is exactly why you need our help Tara?'

Tara pursed her lips. 'What do you know about the First Evil?' she asked.

'Oh I should have seen _that_ one coming' Stephen responded with a groan. 'We'll probably be up to our necks in Turok-Han and Harbingers by Tuesday' he continued bitterly. 'I fucking hate Bringers' he muttered to himself.

'Yes Stephen we all know your oft-mentioned opinion on them' Giles responded. 'Well apart from Tara here of course' he corrected himself. 'Stephen is not their greatest fan' he told her redundantly. 'Not that they have much of a support base in these parts generally.'

Tara frowned. 'You're fighting them here too?' she asked.

'Well not since they ran away along with the First Evil and his other allies' Giles replied.

'It _ran away_? Tara responded doubtfully. 'What from?'

'Well us of course' Giles explained with a smile.

Stephen grinned. 'You've come to the right universe for help anyway' he told her. 'This is the one where it's the vampires are the ones afraid to go out at night and the demon clans come to us on their knees to swear fealty and beg for mercy, well the ones that _have_ knees do, the others just bow and scrape as best they can.'

'Forgive my young associate his hubris, it's a product of too much success in too short a space of time I'm afraid' Giles requested of Tara. 'Temper that enthusiasm Stephen.'

'As you wish Sir but it's the temper of the blades in our swords that matters more in my opinion' Stephen replied.

Giles sighed. 'You might find the consequences of the divergences between our respective timelines have led to a very different ethos than you are used to' he advised Tara. 'Which brings me to an important point unrelated to sharpened steel, we need to establish the differences between our universes and on a more personal level your story within them.'

Tara nodded. 'Shouldn't Kennedy be here though?' she asked.

'As Stephen told you our Kennedy doesn't know you and in any case she lacks seniority, Buffy is in charge here.'

'Buffy's alive too!' Tara exclaimed. Then something clearly occurred to her judging by the expression on her face. 'Is... is Willow...?'

'If you were going to say standing outside in the corridor the answer's yes' Giles told her. 'Bugger' he added when she fainted. 'Stephen fetch some smelling salts and a cup of tea for our guest would you and best tell the others it might be best if they didn't drop in until we've established some more information' he instructed him.

**Shadow Valley - California - November 2005**

Giles had sketched out a few notes which were now on the table in front of him. It seemed a touch strange to have an annoyed looking Anya still in her wedding dress sat directly across from him around the War Room conference table but she insisted on being there with the others and refused to change into something else. This was her wedding day and she was going to wear the outfit until it was her honeymoon night, and maybe still then if it proved suitably kinky.

'She's waiting in the canteen, given the circumstances I thought it best to brief you all before you met her, it could be quite traumatic from her perspective' Giles told the group. 'Rebecca is watching her discretely, she seemed quite paranoid regarding any links with the Powers-That-Be and insisted on keeping Tara under surveillance' he said.

'You said traumatic from _Tara's_ perspective?' Anya responded. 'It's pretty weird for us to see a friend come back from the dead' she declared. 'Well with a pulse anyway' she added. 'Or unless we accidentally pulled them out of heaven or something' she reasoned.

'Oh it's _far_ worse for her I assure you' Giles replied. 'Allow me to give a brief summation of the timeline she comes from' he said. 'In May 2002 a petty, odious, misogynistic bastard by the name of Warren Mears decided to murder one Buffy Summers with a handgun' he began. 'Whilst doing so he not only shot Buffy but several of his bullets went astray.'

'One killing Tara' Willow interrupted quietly.

'No' Giles responded, 'one killing _Willow Rosenberg_' he corrected her.

'Willow died not Tara?' Xander queried.

'Correct' Giles confirmed. 'From that point on the entire world starts to degenerate sharply' he said. 'Buffy was mortally wounded by Warren as in our universe, but in this timeline Willow wasn't there to save her by mystical means, Tara tried but wasn't powerful enough so later that day Buffy died in hospital.'

'Well crap, that sucks' Buffy opined. 'No third comeback I guess?' she asked.

'No, and it gets even worse from there' Giles replied. 'With Buffy and Willow murdered by Warren a certain Alexander LaVelle Harris tracks him down and shoots him dead in the street in broad daylight a month later in San Deigo' he said. 'Xander avoids a death penalty verdict given the circumstances but was nonetheless sentenced to a very large number of years in prison where he still resides.'

'Bet he thinks it was worth it' Xander stated firmly.

Giles couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. 'While Xander goes into jail' he continued, 'Faith Lahane, being told of Buffy's death, conversely breaks out of such an establishment and heads for Sunnydale because she knows the Hellmouth needs a slayer' he said. 'She ends up living under a new identity with the alternate Rupert Giles who has also returned to Sunnydale to help Tara look after a now understandably very upset Dawn Summers' he told them. 'Shortly after this point Spike also returns to town and finding out that Buffy is dead again, this time certainly for good, he commits suicide by falling onto a stake.'

'You do like those big gestures' Buffy told Spike whose eyes had widened.

'His mental stability was already on shaky ground thanks to his recent soul acquisition, and of course the machinations of the First Evil' Giles noted. 'Yes we're now getting to the period where Bringers are assassinating every potential and watcher they can find' he told them. 'Eventually a number end up in Sunnydale seeking Faith's protection including Kennedy who eventually it seems becomes an item with Tara.'

Willow and Kennedy looked at each other. 'So your type is older witches?' Anya asked the latter.

'Well... maybe the cute ones I guess?' Kennedy replied uncertainly.

'I can see why Tara would like you' Willow remarked awkwardly.

'You don't spend as much time with her as I do' Stephen interjected, before the searing look Kennedy directed his way made him wish he'd kept his mouth shut. He definitely decided it would be wise not to make a crack about the three of them getting together... in a sleazy motel with a film crew.

Giles ignored the interruptions. 'Cutting a long story short, the First Evil was now of course hell-bent on opening the Hell-mouth and in the circumstances faced rather less competition in doing so than he did here' he told them. 'Faith _does_ manage to get the scythe, but although they try to use it to activate all the potentials as we did unlike Willow Tara isn't strong enough with magic to do so' he continued. 'With Spike out of the picture as well Angel wears the Amulet obtained from Wolfram-Hart instead of him but is killed by Turok-Han before it can activate, after venturing with it beneath the Seal of Danzalthar, because one slayer and a handful of potentials can't hold them off long enough.'

'Fuck me!' Faith exclaimed. 'Is _anyone_ still alive in that universe?' she asked in amazement.

'Not you I'm afraid' Giles responded. 'You die in the Hellmouth protecting the only three potentials who get out alive which includes Kennedy who is then immediately called herself to replace you' he told her. 'Everyone them escapes to Los Angeles seeking refuge at the Hyperion that that "everyone" is too many survivors by this point.'

'What about me?' Anya asked out of interest. 'Did I make it?'

'Yes apparently' Giles replied. 'You made it to LA as did I' Giles replied.

'Yay us' Anya declared enthusiastically.

'However you get killed some six months later along with Gunn and Robin Wood by a pack of Turok-Han attacking the East Hills Teen Centre' Giles told her.

Anya pouted. 'Well crap' she said, copying Buffy's earlier response.

'Okay got to ask, am I alive?' Kennedy asked.

'As of three weeks ago no you aren't any more' Giles told her, checking his notes. 'Turok-Han again' he explained. 'You and the last potentials you commanded were slaughtered by a pack of the creatures that ambushed you.'

'So who got called to replace her?' Buffy asked.

'The only living potential apparently left in California by that point' Giles replied. 'That being the one being kept safe in a psychiatric hospital until then' he said.

Faith groaned. 'Not fucking _Dana_?' she said, shaking her head.

'Oh yes' Giles confirmed. 'It seems alternate Fred and Wesley then spent much of the following week hunting her down with tranquilliser guns' Giles replied. 'She racked up an amazing number of dusted Turok-Han before they caught her apparently' he said. 'They eventually found her chasing three of them down an alley in '

Spike couldn't help but grin. 'Power of insanity' he observed. 'I bet she scares the shit out of them, she does me' he said, Angel having to nod his agreement with the sentiment. Dana was frankly frightening in a way other slayers weren't.

'So basically from what I can tell so far this alternate Tara comes from the arse-end of the entire multiverse' Wesley commented dispassionately. 'The only high spot being that I'm personally still alive it seems.'

'Yes but you only have the one arm after a Harbinger hacked the other one off with a machete' Giles told him.

'Don't complain, at least you're _alive_' Buffy told Wesley quickly.

'But if he can't do the dual wielding pistol thing what point is there in that?' Xander joked. 'It's his coolest move.'

'He's right' Wesley agreed glumly.

'I must confess that I concur with "arse-end of the multiverse" as a fair assessment' Giles commented. 'The First Evil there is now being rather canny and is gradually building up his strength rather than force an early confrontation with Wolfram and Hart or the demonically-aware sections of the US Government that he might lose' he said. 'He's playing the long game with Turok-Han spreading out further from Sunnydale every day making the night hazardous in the extreme for people throughout most of California and heading down into Mexico' he noted. 'The quantity of humans being killed on a nightly basis is rapidly climbing through the hundreds into the thousands and will be millions in due course as the numbers of the First Evils army increases at an near exponential rate.'

Buffy looked thoughtful. 'You don't think this is the world that spawned the First Evil's jihad from Enyo's future do you?' she asked.

'It _could_ be although given the number of possible universes it's unlikely that there is only one alternate reality where the First won' Giles told her.

'Maybe it is and the Powers-That-Be have pushed Tara our way to deal with it?' Xander suggested.

'Or _maybe_ they just want to tie us down in a campaign that would absorb much of our resources if we decided to intervene' Wesley responded, earning a nod of agreement from Illyria who had been listening quietly throughout stood behind him. 'This wouldn't be a short sharp decisive battle like our sojourn to an Alternate Scotland' he said. 'If we throw ourselves into this disaster area of a dimension we'll be in for the long haul and the Power's may have decided to keep us too busy to interfere elsewhere for a while.'

'Cynic' Xander responded.

'Realist' Wesley countered. 'Though given the day I can forgive your boundless optimism' he said.

'So Whistler came to Tara and told her he knew where she could find help?' Angel asked.

'Correct, although he had contacted them before to pass on information from the powers' Giles replied looking at his notes. 'There are a number of other people involved in the fight against the First and they are still doing their best against impossible odds' he said. 'But frankly they're outmatched, outnumbered and utterly under-equipped for the task and they know it.'

'If it were not for the involvement of the Powers-That-Be I would wholeheartedly endorse our intervention in this but I am loathe not to play into their hands if this is a trick or ruse of some kind' Illyria spoke up for the first time. 'This is a fight being chosen for us by others and we should be cautious in the extreme' she advised.

Angel leaned forward in his chair. 'I thought we were in this to help everyone everywhere' he asked. 'Champions for every world.'

'Choose your battles carefully or risk losing the war' Illyria responded. 'We cannot afford to bleed ourselves white to save one world, if the First Evil is so entrenched it may be better to cauterise this wound and save our forces for the future.'

'Cauterise the wound?' Buffy queried.

'Such as using the temple of Prosepexa on Kingmans Bluff to incinerate the whole world' Illyria told her. 'The witch Willow has the required power as you all know.'

'That would involve me killing _billions_ of people' Willow told her sternly in a manner that definitely made it clear she wasn't a big fan of planetary genocide especially given that she would be the one triggering the holocaust.

'With the possibility of saving countless more by doing so' Illyria replied. 'No I do not expect any of you to go for the idea' she admitted, 'but rest assured, if and when everything goes to hell, possibly literally, I _will_ be saying "I told you so" at every opportunity and noting if you had embraced my solution we wouldn't have been in such a mess' she declared, crossing her arms.

'Taking Plan A off the agenda, that being A for Apocalypse and Armageddon' Buffy said, 'Now we're onto Plan B for Buffy' she said. 'I want to talk to Tara myself, then send scouts through portals to check out her story and if everything she told Giles is true then I don't think we have an option people, we have a duty to help them if we can.'

'Sounds like we'd be putting our dangly bits into the hornet's nest but she's right' Spike agreed. 'I need to get hold of a good mace, the one I used to fight the big ugly bastards before worked great' he said. 'And that grenade launcher which fired the stakes, that was good too' he recalled.

'I'm not fighting Turok-Han alongside Spike again' Angel declared forcefully. 'He nearly got me killed last time' he said bitterly.

'You only slow me down anyway' Spike retorted. 'Even if you do make me look even more stylish by comparison' he added with a smirk.

'Stylish?' Angel responded, rolling his eyes. 'Me Spike, me have big club, me bash in skulls like caveman' he said scornfully.

'At least I don't do those poncy 18th Century swordfighting moves that make you look about as butch as Liberace' Spike retorted. 'And _I'm_ not the one with the forehead and eyebrow ridges that make me look like a sodding neanderthal' he said smugly.

'No fighting on my Wedding Day' Anya ordered, cutting them off before it escalated. 'And no getting drunk and throwing food at each other' she added. 'Xander we're missing our own Wedding Reception' she said. 'Willow needs to make a speech, we need to cut the cake and everyone needs to dance.'

'Except Wesley' Illyria said quickly.

'Except Wesley' Anya agreed.

'I'm not _that_ bad' Wesley muttered to himself.

'Yes you are' Faith told him. 'He is' she told Buffy seriously, Angel nodding his agreement.

'Okay, I'll give everyone ten minutes to say hello to Tara and then it's back to being _my_ Special Day where everything revolves around _me_' Anya told everyone. 'If you want to start a war tomorrow when Xander and I are heading off on our Honeymoon that's fine but no more of this nonsense today' she commanded, in a tone that even Illyria felt compelled to obey. 'Move people!' she said, snapping her fingers.

'Well it's still going better than our last wedding day' Xander decided as everyone else started to move with alacrity.


	11. Chapter 11

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**Shadow Valley - California - November 2005**

'So do you poke everyone you meet or was I singled out for special attention?' Faith asked as Tara looked apologetic for getting up off her chair in the canteen and prodding her with a finger. Rather than everyone come see her at once it had been decided to introduce everyone to Tara one at a time to get her used to the idea that they were all very much alive and Faith had drawn the short straw as she saw it.

'She did it to me too earlier Mom' Rebecca spoke up from the table she was sitting at nearby.

'The First Evil appears as dead people all the time' Tara explained, 'it's a force of habit to make sure the person you're dealing with is real' she said then she paused. 'Did she call you Mom?' Tara asked, raising her eyebrows.

'It's a long story' Faith replied. 'Didn't say who you were?' she asked Rebecca.

'I figured from her perspective our world was weird enough already' Rebecca replied. 'I've got more experience in dealing with people from Alternate Universes, it's best to take things slowly sometimes when explaining what most people would think are the more outlandish elements of ours' she suggested.

'Rebecca there is my daughter from the future in an alternate timeline' Faith told Tara, not being one to always take good advice.

Tara blinked. 'So not _that_ long a story' she replied, turning to look at the girl again. She did look a lot like Faith now she thought about it.

'She's a slayer' Faith added.

'It's a genetic trait caused by both parents carrying the slayer gene' Rebecca noted.

Tara thought about that then shrugged. 'Makes sense I suppose' she conceded.

'And she's part Demon God' Faith told the witch.

'Sorry?' Tara responded, thinking she must have heard that wrong right up until the moment the girl's hair and skin colour changed. 'Gah!' Tara exclaimed, staring at the now red-haired, crystalline blue-eyed demoness.

'Enyo get Tara another hot-chocolate okay?' Faith requested.

'Okay Mom' the girl replied in a very different, far harsher tone of voice, getting up and heading to fetch one.

Faith frowned. 'I get less sass and backchat from the demon than the human that lives in there' she observed sadly. 'The demon part is called Enyo and she's Illyria's daughter' she told Tara.

'Who's Illyria?' Tara queried

'Very old and powerful demon-god with blue hair that looks like Fred' Faith replied. 'Giles really didn't explain much did he?' she asked rhetorically.

'I guess not' Tara replied.

Faith sighed. 'I'll let the others fill in a lot of the blanks' she said. 'So I hear I'm dead where you come from?' she asked.

'Yes' Tara confirmed apologetically.

'Puts my problems into perspective I guess' Faith observed then grinned. 'Do me a favour and poke B really hard' she requested. 'And Wes, poke him hard too' she added.

'Mom leave Dad alone' Rebecca said loudly from across the room.

'Lousy super-powered hearing' Faith complained.

'Wesley is her father?' Tara queried in surprise.

'No Wes is her Dad, Berith is her father' Faith corrected the witch.

Tara blinked again. 'Who the hell is _Berith_?' she asked.

'Another Demon-God, she gets the red hair from his side of the family' Faith replied.

'So he's the partner of this Illyria?' Tara surmised.

'Oh shit no, the Blue Meanie thinks Berry-Boy is a total jerk' Faith responded. 'We call Illyria the Blue-Meanie or Smurfette sometimes' she explained, seeing Tara's confusion at the nickname. 'Illyria dates Wes, they're probably making out in the basement right now' she told Tara.

Tara took a deep breath and tried to make the connections in her mind. 'So in the Alternate Future Rebecca comes from you and Wesley were together but not in _this_ universe' she reasoned.

Faith shook her head. 'No I'm with Wes too' she said. 'Illyria and I share him, it was either that or kill each other' she said.

Tara sat back down on her chair. 'This place is insane' she declared. 'Everybody is alive, time-travelling children from the future fetch drinks and watchers are in a ménage à trios with demons and their own slayer' she moaned.

'Hey your world is a lot more fucked-up than mine' Faith retorted, annoyed at the slight to her dimension. 'You came here for _our_ help remember' she noted sternly.

'Leave her alone Faith' Buffy interrupted loudly.

'Buffy!' Tara exclaimed.

'Poke her good just like I told you' Faith whispered quickly as Tara got up and ran over to embrace the other slayer instead. 'Hey no fair' Faith complained. 'I get assaulted, she gets a damn hug.'

'You don't _like_ hugs Mom' Enyo pointed out reasonably, returning and putting Tara's hot-chocolate on the table.

'It's the principle of the thing' Faith replied. 'You know I'll never be one of the Inner Circle' she muttered.

'You are part of our clan' Enyo told her. 'A far more elevated position in society than being a member of the so-called Scooby Gang' she stated with certainty.

'Just want to belong I guess' Faith replied with a shrug.

'Rebecca says to tell you that you belong with us' Enyo replied. 'She also asks if Buffy has made the predictably wrong decision to throw ourselves into a war that will tie down our resources before we are at optimal preparation for a conflict with the First Evil?'

Faith nodded. 'Majority opinion was to go help Tara' she said. 'I thought you liked kicking Turok-Han ass anyhow?' she asked.

'I like the battles I can win without endangering the war effort as a whole' Enyo replied. 'Pyrrhic victories are not worth the glory of vanquishing the foe for a fleeting instant and I distrust the Powers-That-Be far too much to think they bought Tara here to either our benefit, or the long-term benefit of anybody but themselves' she said. 'Our forces are neither sufficiently mobilised nor in most cases adequately trained for this.'

'So I guess you'll be saying "I told you so" a lot like your mother if this all goes south?' Faith decided.

'If the only win to be had is being smug I'll take what little I can get Mom' Enyo confirmed. 'There is of course an even direr outcome which I have just realised' she continued, with a look of disquiet.

'Yeah?' Faith queried.

'This is all conceivably a set-up designed by the Powers-That-Be in order for us to be _victorious_ against the First Evil in Tara's dimension' Enyo responded. 'This would enhance Buffy's reputation and consolidate her leadership position.'

'We're being set up to _win_?' Faith replied in confusion. 'You're sounding a little paranoid here ya know' she added.

'Not in the big-picture Mom' Enyo replied. 'The one thing the Powers-That-Be desire is balance and overall the philosophical faction described as "good" stands less chance of victory with Buffy at the helm' she stated with conviction. 'And Rebecca says to tell you that just because you're paranoid that doesn't mean the multiverse isn't out to get you' Enyo told her.

Faith chuckled, it was Enyo's delivery that often made it funnier. 'Why do you have such a downer against B anyhow?' she asked.

'She plays too nice' Enyo replied. 'Evil can't be beaten that way unless you're lucky and luck isn't reliable enough' she said. 'Aunty B is in over her head Mom, I only hope you all realise that before it's too late.'

'I think you're underestimating her sweetheart' Faith replied. 'People do that a lot, I know I did' she admitted.

'Just going by the evidence of my own eyes' Enyo told her. 'I don't think Tara is going to drink the hot chocolate' she decided, watching the witch's reaction to the appearance of Kennedy and Willow. 'Waste not, want not' she continued, sitting down, picking up the cup and starting to drink it herself instead.

'Don't slurp' Faith chided her. 'And take your elbows off the table' she added sternly.

'You can slaughter thousands and lay waste to whole regions and they'll let it slide but they'll _still_ pull you up on your table manners' Enyo muttered to herself, taking her elbows off the table and taking a more dainty sip of her drink.

'It's called parenting' Faith told her.

Buffy led the clearly nervous and upset Tara towards Kennedy and Willow. For her part Kennedy just looked and felt extremely awkward whereas Willow had a more emotional stake in proceedings. Willow had loved Tara, still did to a degree and probably always would and seeing her again was distressing but not to the same extent as seeing Kennedy was to Tara of course, the pain of that loss was far too recent to damp down.

'It isn't fair' Tara whispered to Buffy. 'I lost them both.'

'Life isn't fair' Buffy replied quietly.

'You can trump anything I say with the "I got dragged out of heaven" gambit can't you?' Tara whispered again, trying to force a smile.

'I'm the champion of one-downmanship as well as the champion of the people' Buffy told her, smiling back. 'I know you know our guest Willow' she said more loudly, 'but Kennedy this is Tara.'

'Hi' Kennedy greeted her, not knowing whether to wave a greeting, hug her, kiss her on the cheek of continue to stand there like a clueless idiot. She went with the latter and hoped she didn't look as out-of-her-depth as she felt.

Tara held out her hand. 'Hi Kennedy' she replied, offering to shake hands.

'Nice to meet you' Kennedy responded, shaking it and noting as she did so the tremble in Tara's hand.

For her part Willow did give Tara a hug. 'I'm glad you didn't die where you come from' she said.

Tara broke away from the hug. 'It looks like it would have been better if I had' she said sadly. 'You died instead and so did almost everyone else I care about because of that.'

'Don't blame yourself' Willow exclaimed quickly. 'Every possibility gets played out in one dimension of another, you just kinda lucked out' she said. 'I nearly ended the world I hurt so much because you died' she continued. 'I probably _did_ end it somewhere in the multiverse.'

'No matter how bad things are they almost certainly suck more for some other poor slob somewhere' Kennedy spoke up, trying to put a positive spin on things. 'Think of the other alternate Tara's in even crappier situations' she suggested.

Tara looked at her. 'You're so much like my Kennedy its unreal' she said. 'She never got that I wasn't a fan of schadenfreude either' she continued. 'Too much empathy for others' she explained of herself.

'Unfortunately her watcher encourages her' Willow interjected. 'Well he does' she told Kennedy with a smile.

'Stephen gets me' Kennedy replied, crossing her arms.

'I met your watcher' Tara told Kennedy, trying to make conversation so that she had less time to think about things. 'He seemed nice.'

'He's okay' Kennedy replied. 'Look I'm sorry about the other me dying' she said honestly.

Tara sniffed. 'Thanks' she replied.

'We're all sorry, we can see how much you cared' Buffy told her.

'This all feels so strange' Tara told them. 'Like I should be waking up' she said.

'And getting back to the nightmare you live in?' Buffy responded.

'Yes, the nightmare I live in' Tara replied. 'You can help right?' she asked. 'You're going to help?' she pleaded, taking hold of one of Buffy's hands. 'I can't lose anyone else' she said in growing desperation.

Buffy squeezed Tara's hand gently. 'Of course we're going to help' she said. 'Give us a few hours to get ready and we'll all portal back to your world together' she told her. 'In the meantime you really should give your congratulations to Anya and Xander they got married today' she said. 'We don't usually dress like this you know' she joked.

Tara giggled. 'I was wondering how you fought vampires in that bridesmaids outfit' she said then frowned. 'I haven't got them a present' she said, realising how absurd a statement that was in the circumstances as soon as she said it.

'I think getting best wishes for their life together from you will be enough for Xander' Willow replied then paused. 'You might need to magic something up quick for Anya though' she added.

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'I found help' Tara announced, walking in the front door. 'Now don't freak out okay?' she requested of the girl behind the reception desk. 'I did enough of that for everyone already' she continued more quietly.

Dawn automatically reached for the shotgun Wesley had put under the desk for her. If it hadn't been daylight outside she would have reached for the crossbow instead, the First Evil had some way of getting around the rule of vampires always needing an invite and the anti demon-violence spell wasn't a hundred-percent reliable either. 'Prove it's really you Tara' she insisted.

Tara reached down and picked an envelope off the floor, Dawn wasn't all that tidy sometimes and paperwork often went astray all over the lobby. 'See I'm not dead and I'm not the First Evil pretending to be me' she said. 'Now I want you to take a deep breath and relax because...'

'Get the fuck out of here' Dawn hissed at the apparition which had walked in behind Tara. 'It doesn't work any more you prick' she swore at it.

Tara turned back and held out the envelope. 'She thinks you're the First Evil' she explained.

'Makes sense' Buffy replied, taking the envelope off Tara and waving it around. 'See the power of the touchage' she declared. 'Totally _not_ an incorporeal evil force pretending to be your dead sister' she announced.

Dawn's eyes widened. 'What? How?' she gasped.

'The Alternate Dimension I went to' Tara explained. 'The Buffy there wasn't dead, she's come back here to help us honey' she told Dawn in as gentle a tone as she could.

'Yeah so get with the program' another Dawn added, following on behind Buffy, snatching the envelope from her sister's hand and practically thrusting it at the boy following her. 'Local Dawn needs to see we're real' she told Connor.

'She's cute' Connor opined, taking the envelope himself. 'You should open this I think it's from the IRS and they're not people you want to mess with' he said.

'Well duh' Dawn responded to both the notion that her exact duplicate was cute and the not messing with the IRS. Even Wolfram Hart reputably feared the tax man as hardly anybody had better sorcerers on the payroll after the great Warlock Tax Evasion scandal of 1986 resulted in so many of them having to accept employment contracts. 'Okay what with you not being fifty feet tall people are going to have trouble telling us apart so we've got a coloured ribbon to pin to you' she told the other Dawn behind the desk, marching across the lobby towards her. 'It'll save everyone a lot of confusion' she added brightly.

'You're much more relaxed about this than we are' Tara told Buffy.

'Not our first parallel universe' Buffy replied, 'meeting an alternate me the first time was a little strange but you can adjust to anything really' she said.

'You're dead' the Dawn behind the desk insisted. 'This is a dream.'

The second Dawn arrived at the desk and slapped her around the face. 'Not a dream' she said as the first Dawn went "ouch" and clutched her cheek.

'Dawn!' Buffy exclaimed.

'It was the quickest, easiest way' the Dawn who had delivered the blow replied to her sister. 'Your Buffy dead, my Buffy alive' she told her double. 'We're from another world where things are very different and from what I can tell much, _much_ better' she said as others began trooping into the lobby as well, several carrying larges crates or boxes. 'Feel free to poke anyone you're not sure of, Tara said its how you do things here, but don't poke _me_ or I'll poke you right back hard' she promised.

Wesley stormed into the Lobby from a side door 'What the hell is going on out...' he began then his jaw dropped. Seeing Buffy again wasn't so much the issue, he had seen her several times since her death but Faith was there too, and now Kennedy he realised as yet another dead slayer walked in.

'Hey its alternate Wes' Faith remarked. 'Somebody pin an ribbon on him before I kiss the wrong one and get into trouble' she joked. 'Hi Wes, not dead just visiting' she told him.

'Well you'd better not bloody kiss him' another Wesley commented as he walked in from outside. 'Good looking chap' he observed, 'looks a bit moronic standing there with his mouth open like that though' he continued. 'Get your act together Wyndham-Pryce' he told him.

'It worked!' the first Wesley said in amazement, looking at Tara in wonderment. 'Whistler was telling the truth and you actually did it!' he exclaimed enthusiastically.

'Unfortunately they're not from the dimension without shrimp' Tara replied, she was allergic and had been hoping to visit the place ever since Anya mentioned it to her once.

'Could have been worse there's a dimension with nothing _but_ shrimp too I've heard' Buffy told her. 'Is it just you guys here or...'

'Fred is off buying supplies with Kate and Bethany' The Dawn behind the counter spoke up. 'Gwen is probably off stealing things we can't buy and Dana is sedated upstairs cuddling the scythe and a snoopy doll' she said.

'Bethany is the chick who can move things with her mind, Gwen is the one that can zap you and Kate is the ex-cop right?' Faith checked.

'Yes' Tara confirmed.

'Just so I know who's who' Faith replied.

'Wesley you'd better get your Storm Troopers to check the hotel out' Buffy told her version of the scruffy watcher.

'Jailbait break out the weaponry and secure the building please' Wesley told one of the girls. 'I want the Hyperion locked down tight before nightfall so we can begin an expanding sweep and clear of the local area tonight' he ordered.

'Yes Sir' the girl replied, lifting the lid on one of the crates and starting to hand out automatic weapons. Other girls were still bringing in crates and there must have been fifty of them so far.

'They're all slayers, except for the other Wesley I mean and Connor over there' Tara told her people. 'Where they came from I died not Willow and she was strong enough to make the activation spell with the scythe work' she explained.

'Willow's alive too' her Dawn asked in shock.

'She's portalling in later with the next batch of girls' Buffy told her. 'Has anyone found the box with the scythes yet?' she asked. The crates all looked the same to her.

'Yes she means scythes plural they've got dozens of them' Tara announced.

'We're well-armed' Buffy commented redundantly as a girl behind her started loading a grenade-launcher.

'You can go further with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word' Kennedy said brightly. 'I still prefer my scythe though' she added as it was passed to her. 'So we hear you've got a Turok-Han problem and called out for the exterminators' she continued. 'Have stake will travel' she continued, indicating the one fitted to her scythe.

'Have you done this before?' the local Wesley queried.

'You mean fight Turok-Han or go to other dimensions to help out?' Buffy asked.

'Both' he replied.

'Yes on both counts' Buffy told him. 'Never fought Turok-Han on another Earth though but we figure one uber-vamp is much the same as another' she said.

'Just more scythe-fodder' Faith agreed.

'This is insane Tara they can't know what they're going up against' the Dawn behind the reception desk declared. 'They're too cocky' she continued. 'These things killed Buffy, _my_ Buffy' she said. 'They killed Faith, Kennedy...'

'No wonder they died if they were whiny defeatists like you' the one they were calling Jailbait interrupted, fastening on an equipment harness.

'That's enough Charlotte' Buffy told her sharply.

'Calling it how I see it Slayer-Chef' the girl responded. 'We'll put a few sniper positions on the roof and rig helios-grenades up as booby-traps in the sewer access tunnels' she told her.

'Just do your thing' Buffy told her. 'And don't blow up or burn down the Hotel, we have to live here for a while' she said.

'LA is crawling with the fuckers right?' Faith asked Tara. 'Bringers too?'

'Hundreds at least, maybe thousands by now' Tara confirmed. 'I've got a locator spell that can find the larger nests.'

'Good then we can take the fight to them starting tomorrow' Buffy declared. 'Then we start planning to retake Sunnydale and close the hellmouth.'

'Retake Sunnydale?' the native Wesley repeated doubtfully. 'Dawn's right you clearly have no concept of what you're facing' he stated with certainty.

'I think you'll find we do' his double replied confidently. 'It's more an issue of you not having any conception of what we bring to this party' he continued. 'We have battle-tested weaponry and tactics far in advance of your own in sophistication and effectiveness' he claimed. 'We have hundreds upon hundreds of trained slayers and most importantly of all _we_ still believe we'll win and I suspect you lost that self-belief a while ago' he said. 'I can see it in your eyes and I remember seeing it in my own once upon a time.'

'We're going to give you _hope_ as well as help' Buffy added. 'Because that's what slayers are for, to give hope, to be a symbol as well as a champion...'

'I'm just in it for the cool moves, excitement and to pick up hot guys myself' Faith interrupted.

'It's the paycheck for me' Kennedy said. 'And to pick up hot girls' she added.

Buffy turned and glared at both of them in turn. 'I had a speech planned' she said.

'Shouldn't you save that for when everyone is here?' Faith asked her.

'Okay, good point it would sound fake if I repeated it' Buffy conceded, 'less sincere.'

'Got to sound sincere' Faith agreed. Hopefully an encounter with some Turok-Han would forestall the speech ever occurring, that was the kind of hope she thought all slayers could get behind.

Tara looked to her Dawn, it was all such a whirlwind it hadn't had the chance to fully catch up with her yet and it would probably hit Dawn in a delay too, she realised. Seeing Buffy again, a _real_ Buffy would hurt the girl she knew, it had taken her so long to get over losing her sister so soon after losing her mother and now she was back again after a fashion.

A flash of light in the middle of the lobby caused everyone to spin around just in time to see an extremely confused looking second Buffy staring at two Dawn's. 'Over here shithead' Faith called to it.

The First Evil spun around and found itself looking at a very much alive Buffy, Faith and Kennedy plus numerous other girls who it could swear had the distinctive aura of slayers 'What the hell?' it asked in mystification.

'You are _so_ not as omniscient as you make out are you?' Buffy asked it rhetorically, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. 'Go taunt someone that takes you seriously because _we_ don't' she told it. 'And two other things, that hairstyle was an experiment I wore for like three days before I decided it blew so contemporise okay and you've never got my height right _once_' she complained.

'B thinks she's taller than she really is' Faith whispered to Kennedy who had looked puzzled by that last comment.

'Who _are_ you?' the First Evil queried in utter confusion as to what was going on here. It had only dropped in to annoy the Summer's Key-Girl again for laughs and had instead found itself in the Twilight Zone.

'We're your worst nightmare' Buffy replied, 'a whole lot of slayers with a whole lot of scythes' she told it with a smirk.

The First grimaced. 'Okay now this just _sucks_' it said in a pitch-perfect rendition of Buffy's most piqued and flustered tones.


	12. Chapter 12

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

Kate Lockley had good instincts, as a cop she had usually found her gut reaction to people or situations pretty reliable and in the increasingly horrible world which had developed since leaving the force they had continued to save her life. If you wasted time thinking things through then something inhumanly fast might be gnawing on your neck before you reached a decision, better to go with what your gut told you and deal with the consequences afterwards because if you didn't there might not be an afterwards.

It was for this reason that she had dropped the bag of groceries as soon as she walked back into the hotel and reached inside her jacket to take hold of the pistol she habitually carried in a shoulder-holster beneath it. She never got a chance to draw it before better than half a dozen teenage girls inside the lobby had already drawn pistols of their own and were pointing them at her, damn they were fast she thought before realising that the grocery bag she dropped hadn't hit the floor, it was floating a couple of inches above the ground. 'Bethany' she said slowly, 'we've got guests' she told the girl standing directly behind her.

Bethany leaned sideways to look around Kate. 'Lots and lots of guests' she said. 'I could throw a few of them around but not before at least some of them filled us with holes' she told her.

'Please let go of the pistol and slowly take your hand back out of your jacket' one of the armed girls instructed Kate.

'Pistol?' Kate responded, 'what pistol?' she asked. 'I was just reaching for my cell-phone to call 911' she lied.

'And we're the National Rifle Association booking in for our LA Convention' another girl carrying some kind of assault rifle replied sarcastically before activating a laser-sight on her weapon to put a green dot on the former police detectives chest.

'It's okay Kate they're friends' Tara interrupted, running over from the office and carelessly crossing several fields of fire en-route.

'Tara?' Bethany queried in surprise. 'Didn't expect to see you again' she admitted.

'It worked, I mean I found help like Whistler said I would' Tara told them. 'They're slayers, all of them' she explained. 'I mean apart from some of them who aren't'

'They're from another universe' Wesley announced, heading out from the office himself, then to Kate and Bethany's shock another Wesley followed him. 'I'm your Wesley Wyndham-Pryce he's theirs' he explained, indicating his double. 'We're going to start wearing badges or something so you can tell us apart' he told them.

'It'll get bloody confusing otherwise' the second Wesley added. 'Please comply with the request regarding your handgun Ms. Lockley' he continued, 'the girls _will_ shoot you if you don't' he told her honestly.

Kate hesitated for a moment longer then took her hand off her automatic and instead took hold of the still floating bag of groceries again. 'I got it Bethany' she told the telekinetic who released her hold on it.

'Where's Fred?' Tara asked. 'We thought she was with you?'

'She dropped us off and went to buy some gas' Kate explained, walking further into the lobby with a cautious, guarded expression on her face. Bethany looked equally apprehensive but at least she had her weird-ass powers to fall back on Kate thought to herself, all I've got is my wits, an automatic, a stake in my jacket pocket and tonight's dinner.

'Okay, first thing to say, _not_ the First Evil' Kennedy announced from the staircase, pointing at herself as she trotted down towards them, Kate and Bethany staring at her. 'This place is a dump' she opined, 'I forgot what a wreck it was before Xander fixed it up' she said disparagingly. 'Buffy and Dawn are trying to get the other Dawn's head straight upstairs and Faith is checking local-Dana over' she told everyone.

'Alternate Kennedy' Tara explained redundantly. 'We're not together in their universe because I'm dead over there' she continued. 'Otherwise everyone else is alive.'

'You actually travelled to a parallel universe?' Kate asked Tara, still doubting the evidence of her own eyes thought she had never seen the First Evil do more than impersonate one dead person at a time, it regularly visited her as her father which was always less than fun.

Tara nodded. 'It was weird' she replied.

'Hey this universe is the weird one' a slayer retorted defensively. 'I've been to Hell Dimensions less fucked up than this place' she declared before a look of displeasure from the Wesley she thought must be hers quieted her.

'They beat the First Evil there' Tara told Kate and Bethany, 'activated all the potentials and closed the Hellmouth like I tried to do in Sunnydale' she explained. 'They've got weapons to fight the Turok-Han' she added with a smile.

'It's the better tactics and training more than the hardware as it happens but yes we do have effective means of countering the things' the Wesley from the other universe confirmed. 'Incendiary bullets, techno-mystical grenades and a goodly number of scythes' he said.

'They can make scythes' Tara told Kate with a shrug.

'I thought the thing was unique?' Kate responded in confusion.

'One slayer at a time only needs one scythe, when you've got lots of slayers you need lots of scythes' Kennedy interjected. 'We've got one of the women who made the original on the staff cranking out new improved ones like mine' she told her then smiled. 'You two want a hand with the bags?' she asked. 'We're ordering in pizza, better let someone know what you want too' she added as everyone started to relax a little.

If Kate Lockley could have been said to have good Cop Instincts then Gwen Raiden had equally good if not better Thief Instincts, it was those that meant that when she returned to the Hotel later on and found it crawling with strangers instead of coming in the front door she sneaked in and embarrassed the slayers who were supposedly securing the building from intruders by appearing from nowhere holding one of the girls by the back of the neck threatening to put a lethal electrical charge through her unless someone explained what the hell was going on.

After another tense standoff it fell to Bethany this time to defuse the situation persuading Gwen to release her hostage and listen to everyone's explanation of what was going on. 'I don't buy this Star-Trek Alternate Universe crap' Gwen declared, glaring suspiciously across the pizza laden dining table at the strangers, _especially_ the ones she recognised.

'I said that's where I was going' Tara reminded her.

'And I said I thought it was bullshit then too' Gwen replied flatly, crossing her arms.

Buffy rolled her eyes. 'You know a girl with funky electrical powers that has a friend with telekinesis might be expected to be a little more accepting of the strange' she told her.

'Just because I'm a freak and so is Beth doesn't mean I have to believe every line I'm told about the super-natural' Gwen replied. 'I stuck around to help out after Denzil died because he would have wanted me to, but don't go thinking that makes me some kind of team player or a sucker for that matter.'

Faith looked at her knowingly, she recognised the attitude very well. 'Way I here it you've been bankrolling the operation here too' she responded, 'sounds like a Team Player to me' she opined.

'Hey I've got money and it's always easy to steal more' Gwen replied. 'Don't make more of that than it is' she told the slayer, assuming that was what she really was. 'I might fry a few uber-vamps sometimes but I'm not a crusading super-hero either' she said. 'The outfit is to stop me accidentally putting fifty-thousand volts through the wrong person or shorting out my microwave it's _not_ because I'm auditioning for the next X-Men movie' she declared sardonically.

'I think the outfit is kinda bitchin' Faith told her, 'and I'll bet my Wes wouldn't mind me in it either' she continued with a grin, 'you give a lot more of a shit than you make out and _that's_ why you're going to stick around and help us deal with your First Evil problem' she said. 'Now get with the program like the others and we'll all get along great.'

'Is this some kind of convicted criminal bonding thing?' Buffy asked.

'I've never been _convicted_ of anything' Gwen responded with a smirk.

'I was in jail because I turned myself in and if I was you B I wouldn't be so high-and-mighty regarding the law' Faith told her. 'I remember getting caught robbing a store with _you_ once' she reminded Buffy. 'Does "Want, Take, Have" ring any bells?' she asked.

Buffy blushed. 'I was going through a phase' she said awkwardly. 'It was peer pressure' she defended herself, directed an accusing glare at Faith.

'Nice try at deflecting the guilt B but what kind of dumbass looks to _me_ as a moral compass?' Faith asked rhetorically.

'Moving swiftly on from this discussion on our respective brushes with the authorities' her version of Wesley said, 'the First Evil is now fully aware of our presence here and must be expected to make a move immediately to counter it' he said. 'We should expect a visit from the Turok-Han in force tonight to test our strength and I suggest we give them a hearty boot up the rear' he advised.

Buffy nodded. 'We're in the middle of LA so we don't want to shoot up the local area with machine-guns attracting attention...' she began.

'If we were in Compton it wouldn't draw as much attention' Faith quipped.

'... but fortunately we've got plenty of nice quiet cross-bows' Buffy continued, ignoring her, 'so we should be able to take out plenty of uber-vamps without resorting to the heavy weaponry.

'Crossbows don't work so great' Kate commented from personal experience.

'Not the normal ones but we have heavy duty ones that only a slayer could draw without needing a winch' Kennedy told her. 'We've dusted Turok-Han with them before' she noted confidently.

'We've also got silenced pistols in case of Harbingers' Buffy told them. 'I don't like guns but they work pretty well against them' she admitted.

'Can't you put silencers on those rifle-thingies?' Tara queried.

'They work reasonably adequately on our re-chambered G36K's as it happens' the visiting Wesley responded, 'the problem is that even if the incendiary bullets going out of the firearm aren't too noisy the ones going into the Turok-Han _are_' he told her.

Bethany looked confused. 'Why?' she asked.

'Because we've shot vamps with Bucky before and they scream and holler when you do' Buffy told her, using the nickname for the special bullets Vi had coined. 'They don't kill vampires they only hurt them a lot so you can stake them more easily' she explained.

A girl in a dragon-leather jacket entered the room. 'Sorry for interrupting boss but Willow just got here with the second group of slayers and the rest of the gear' she told Buffy. 'Oh and we had to Taser Dana when she woke up' she added apologetically, 'she's crazier than our one!' she declared.

Gwen raised her eyebrows. 'The number of times I've had to do that recently I'm surprised she's not getting used to it' she said.

**Los Angeles Sewers – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) -November 2005**

'I don't know why you're complaining' Connor told the moaning slayer following him, there were three of them but the other two were just trying to ignore the situation. 'I've got a better sense of smell than you do' he reminded her.

'I'm complaining because I'm in a concrete tube half full of sewage ten yards under LA and it's not even _my_ Los Angeles' the girl replied. At least the fact they were all wearing night-vision gear meant they were spared the full unpleasantness of shining a flashlight over the surroundings and seeing everything in its actual colour, it didn't look as nauseating when everything was shades of green.

'You volunteered for a Sweep and Clear mission didn't you?' Connor asked.

'I was denied the full facts' the girl told him, she was American but of Chinese descent and petite with it to boot. She wasn't much over five foot and looked smaller than the arbalest crossbow she was carrying.

'Well how did you _think_ vampires moved around during the daytime?' Connor asked reasonably.

'I heard people talking basements and storm drains' the girl responded.

'That was the team going with Rona' Connor told her. 'You need to pay more attention' he advised.

'I need to get in with the people in charge is what I need' the girl responded bitterly. 'It's all about who your friends are and who you know' she complained.

'I know everyone in charge and _I'm_ down here' Connor pointed out.

'Yeah but we all know the Chief doesn't like you screwing Dawn and anyway you're the type that volunteers for things' the slayer told him.

'Dedicated you mean?' Connor asked.

'Stupid' the girl corrected him.

Connor raised a hand to quiet them. 'Something else down here' he whispered, indicating the way up ahead where the sewer line gently curved to the right. 'It could just be a sewer repair-man so don't put a crossbow bolt into something unless you're sure what it is' he said.

They continued moving on more slowly, tense for action. The three slayers had crossbows and short-swords but Connor was carrying his mystical knife which morphed into a sword when he silently mouthed the spell required feeling some of the demonic energy which made him so strong and fast flowing into the blade as it grew.

Fortunately Turok-Han were rarely smart enough to be sneaky and one simply jumped out in front of them with a snarl, despite earlier Connor's warning to expect possible trouble one of the girls still flinched enough that her crossbow bolt went wild, hitting it in the shoulder not the ribcage but another calmer or possibly more experienced slayer put her own shot right on target.

The sharpened heavy hardwood bolt smashed through the vampires bone and sinew armoured chest plate and going right into its heart exploded the vampire into dust, the particles looking almost like fog for a second via the night-vision goggles before they fell downwards to scatter themselves on the flow, heading slowly away like the rest of the detritus.

Despite a still outwardly relaxed demeanour inside Connor was going into overdrive, his already slightly faster-than-normal pulse went through the roof, muscles tensed for action and he smoothly shifted into a combat-stance 'Where there's one there's...' he began.

'More' the small slayer finished his sentence firing her own crossbow directly into the snarling face of a second Turok-Han as it leapt from seemingly nowhere, presumably a narrower feeder pipe that emptied into this main channel. Coming in at an angle the bolt knocked out several of the creature front teeth and drove itself through the roof of its mouth before it stopped leaving have the length of the bolt still protruding from its face. Although far from a lethal injury it was still the kind of wound that even a uber-vamp wasn't easily able to ignore and instead of continued its intended attack on Connor it clawed at the bolt as another girl drew a silenced pistol and emptied a magazine through it as fast as she could, Connor dodging as far out of the line-of-fire as he could as supersonic .357 SIG ammunition began punching into the things torso, the bullets deforming as they impacted its natural body-armour and tearing even more serious internal wounds as the misshapen copper-jacketed rounds tumbled and came apart.

The damn things were unbelievably tough, Connor decided as the pistol used up its clip and the Turok-Han already seemed to recover. He swung his sword as hard as he could and caught the vampire in the side, the sharp and mystically-enhanced metal blade biting in deep and causing a muffled, half-choked, gurgling howl of pain and a spray of blood from its mouth.

'Shit' one of the slayers swore as a third Turok-Han ran to the attack. She had been reloading her crossbow but she threw it aside and drawing her sword with her right hand deployed a wooden stake to her left from the device on her wrist.

Connor did likewise with his own similar gadget and putting all his strength into it slammed the wooden stake into the chest of the creature he was still fighting before it could recover. It came apart into ash freeing his sword and sending his half-stumbling as he overbalanced as the three slayers jointly tackled the next vampire, inflicting almost the death of a thousand cuts as they hacked at it relentlessly with their swords, trying to injure it enough to make finishing it off less hazardous.

More howls echoed down the sewer. 'We've got more company on the way, sounds like up to a dozen' Connor yelled as he regained his balance and retrieved the discarded crossbow to hand back once the girls had finished with the one they were fighting which they quickly did. He passed it back and told the owner to reload it as he pulled a Helios Grenade from his pocket. 'Get ready to close your eyes and turn off your goggles to stop the flash totally fucking them up when I set this thing off' he told them, pulling the pin but keeping hold of the sprung-loaded lever that would have to flip off before the grenade would explode.

The girls moved back as Connor waited for the next wave, Turok-Han often arrived en-masse so he might get the chance to completely take out a good number all at once and hopefully give a few more behind a very bad case of sunburn.

Practically shoulder to shoulder as they arrived the uber-vamps went straight for Connor who let the grenade lever spring away as they neared, he waited a couple of seconds and threw the grenade into as high an arc as he could as he squeezed his eyes shut and put his now free hand over his goggle lenses so they wouldn't flare out.

The Helios Grenade was in the midst of the Turok-Han when the techno-mystical grenade exploded, liberating the spell contained within in a burst of sunlight far brighter than the daylight above. For a brief second the sewer was a blinding flash and the mob of vampires simply caught alight several exploding at once and others further away being scorched or charred, others blinded as their retinas burned out.

'Finish them' Connor howled as he opened his eyes and witnessed the bedlam and disorder in the Turok-Han ranks. The three slayers switched their goggles back on and finding three easy targets straight away simply shot them down with crossbow bolts before joining Connor in the attack, sword and stake against teeth and claws.

Connor decapitated the last himself, a satisfied expression on his face as he neatly chopped off its head, he started to cough violently from all the dust now filling the enclosed space and hoped uber-vamp remains didn't cause lung-cancer. 'I want a shower' he announced. 'And a beer' he added. He wasn't a big drinker but his dad had taken him to an Irish Themed Pub a few weeks before and introduced him to a drink called Guinness saying something about heritage and the quality of most of the output of the big American breweries. It was nice stuff and practically a meal in itself which was good when you burned through calories like Connor did, hopefully the same establishment was present in this LA too he thought.

One of the slayers was shaking the dust out of her hair. 'I'm asking for a transfer to night patrol' she declared, 'just muggers and nice pleasant garbage-strewn alleys with junkies in them' she said wistfully as they trudged back towards the Hyperion.

'Paradise' another agreed as they ignored the rats running past them along a pipe fixed to the wall.

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

Fred was already all too wary of the horde of strangers or almost-strangers that had already arrived but the appearance of the all too familiar form of a portal vortex opening half way between the ceiling and the floor in the middle of the lobby set all her alarm bells ringing. She didn't have a good record with portals be that being sucked through one into Pylea, failing to stop the Beast by opening one herself or attempting to murder her old College Professor by dumping him through one.

One of the newly arrived slayers noticed her reaction. 'Relax' she said. 'Only one person travels that way who has to worry about ending up inside the walls or the floor' she said as a red-haired girl with very strange skin colouration a sword and a large hold-all dropped through and landed gracefully on the floor, trying to arrive with as much dignity as possible.

The portal closed above her as the girl straightened up. 'Aunty Fred' she greeted Winnifred Burkle as her appearance morphed into a rather more human condition the bright red hair becoming brunette locks for one thing. 'Seen one Hyperion seen 'em all' she observed, looking around.

'Just you?' a slayer asked.

'Nobody else ever wants to travel by no-frills budget portal' the girl replied. 'I don't know if it's the lack of the in-flight movie or the no honey-roasted peanuts that does it' she joked.

'We're too worried about our undercarriage given the way the landings go' the slayer replied. 'Can someone tell the Chief that the Red Menace has arrived' she called out loudly.

Rebecca sighed, Enyo hated that nickname and was scowling in their shared mind. 'Are you okay Aunty Fred?' she asked.

'You're the Slayer-God thing' Fred said in amazement, Tara had given her a quick summary of what was going on as soon as she got back from filling the car with gas.

'Rebecca or Enyo is fine, calling me a "thing" is a little rude though Aunty Fred' the girl responded, 'hurtful too' she added.

Fred blinked. 'The other one, the one that looks like me...' she began.

'Mother isn't coming' Rebecca told her. 'She thinks this is all a very bad mistake and possibly an attempt by the Powers-That-Be to screw us' she said. 'I agree completely but Mom and Dad are here so I need to look after them' she continued. 'This all bears the classic hallmarks of a total clusterfuck in the making if you ask me' she opined.

'Language' Faith chided loudly.

'Sorry Mom' Rebecca apologised. 'I'm right though' she stated with certainty.

'You've met Alternate Fred?' Faith asked, walking over to join them.

'We were just getting to know each other' Rebecca replied with a half-smile. 'I called her Aunty, she called me a thing...'

'My daughter is _not_ a thing' Faith told Fred sharply.

'See, not just my opinion' Rebecca noted. 'Where's dad?' she asked.

'Talking guns with the other Wes and a couple of Vi's stormtroopers in the basement, they're stacking the hardware down there' Faith replied. 'Our Wes is the one carrying a rifle' she told her.

'Oh I can tell them apart' Rebecca replied, 'each parallel universe has a slightly different vibe' she explained as best she could.

'Some sort of sixth sense?' Faith queried.

'More like my eighth' Rebecca corrected her. 'It's related to the way I can feel my way through a portal, each universe has a sort of... well taste might be the closest description' she said. 'At least it works better than my sixth and seventh senses, despite Enyo being of Berith's and Illyria's lines our precognition is completely dire almost to the point of non-existence and we're tone-deaf to a lot of plant species.'

'Connor and a few of the girls have already tussled with some uber-vamps' Faith announced, 'they just got back from a patrol underground.'

'Well at least I'll get to kill some Turok-Han while I'm here' Rebecca said, looking on the bright side of things. 'Have you found me a room?' she asked.

'You don't sleep and a lot of the rooms aren't liveable so the girls that need to sleep get the ones that are' Faith replied.

'Well can I leave my stuff in your room when I don't need it?' Rebecca requested.

'Sure, we're in room three-twelve, me and you dad I mean but just knock before walking in okay' Faith asked. 'We could be doing something you might not want to see.'

'If I _did_ want to see my parents doing that the people that doubt my mental togetherness would have a point' Rebecca replied. 'Or more of a point' she admitted. 'I'm going to find dad' she said. 'Tell Aunty B where I am if she asks.'

'Okay, will do sweetheart' Faith responded as Rebecca dumped her bag and her sword to one side and headed towards the basement. The slayer noted the strange expression on Fred's face 'You take good family where you can find it' Faith told her. 'And she got me an awesome card on Mother's Day last May' she added with a smile.

The two Wesley's were watching several girls strip and reassemble rifles. 'All custom?' one asked the other.

'We've got our own armaments factory in China' the other replied. 'The basic designs are the same as the ones Heckler and Koch made we just scaled them up for a more powerful cartridge and made some special loads for them' he explained.

'And the incendiaries are proven effective?' the first Wesley checked.

'Extremely, though we're interested in seeing what Buckingham type .338 Lapua Magnum will do to a Turok-Han' the second replied. 'That's untested though we predict great things because the combination of a larger quantity of phosphor and the much higher muzzle-energy should work wonders' he said. 'A three round burst in the chest should put one of the buggers down pretty sharpish.'

'I wish we had your resources' the first Wesley said sadly.

'Luck of the draw as regards the timeline really' the second replied. 'But as to resources ours are not unlimited I'm afraid' he said. 'We're already committed to fighting the forces aligned to Jasmine and are conducting small scale operations against them on a regular basis' he told his double. 'We're also tied up with another commitment to aid the rebel females of Oden Tal, we have to guarantee the security of Pylea against the Wolf, Ram and Hart and we still have to make sure our home reality is secure.'

'Imperial Overstretch?' the first Wesley suggested.

'Illyria believes it to be so and I fear she may be right' the second agreed. 'We never shifted onto a full-scale war footing expecting to have more time to prepare for the so-called Dimension Wars so now we're perhaps over-reaching ourselves.'

'What's Imperial overstretch?' one of the slayers queried, 'sorry for interrupting' she said when the two Wesley's looked at her.

'No need to apologise young lady' the first Wesley told her. 'Imperial Overstretch is a theory that says that a Great Power, a nation-state or an empire perhaps, can extend itself beyond its ability to support the military and economic requirements of it's commitments' he explained. 'There are many examples in history of countries bankrupting themselves by trying to do too much with too little' he continued. 'The historian Paul Kennedy wrote a very successful book based around the concept called The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.'

'It's too persuasive a theory for comfort if you ask me' Rebecca interjected. 'Hi Dads' she greeted the pair of them with some amusement.

'Hi sweetheart' the second Wesley replied. 'This is Rebecca my time-travelling sort-of daughter' he introduced her.

'Takes after Faith' the other Wesley noted. 'Very nice to meet you' he said. 'She's not going to hug me is she?' he asked hurriedly.

'You're too many twists in the timeline removed' Rebecca told him. 'Dad there is a lot closer to my original Dad than you are' she said. 'So I guess its game-time when the sun sets?' she asked rhetorically. 'Don't either of you get killed okay?' she requested.

'We're not planning on it' they both said together.


	13. Chapter 13

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

Twilight was giving way to darkness outside as the last remnants of the sunset faded, or it would have if it wasn't for all the streetlights bathing the area in an artificial glow. Like every modern city since electrification it never really got dark across whole swathes of the sprawling metropolis and this had negated one of the vampire's main advantages over its prey, that being that the former could see much better in low-light conditions.

On the plus side for the undead, in the days before towns and cities were so well lit at night far fewer people were ever out after dark so conversely the volume of readily available food had risen by several orders of magnitude. Since they needed an invite to enter the fact that humans in the old days were usually at home as soon as the sun dropped from the sky meant that the modern vampire was typically better fed than his predecessor. This had also led to the effect that the old image of the stereotypical slender vampire was gradually dying out, since in a parallel to the increasing number of humans in the industrial world being over-fed due to an abundance of food vampires were also gradually heading the same way.

Buffy was up on the roof of the Hyperion looking around, Faith was with her along with three girls looking out over the city with binoculars. 'I miss the LA nightlife sometimes' she said, 'maybe not so much the low-lifes and no-lifes that come out in LA at night' she added.

'Not nearly as many no-lifes in _our_ LA these days B' Faith replied. 'We hunted them out ages ago back home' she continued, 'if it wasn't for Wolfram and Hart I'd be telling you to reassign some of the girls somewheres else' she told her.

'I heard the local branch in this dimension basically cowers in their offices at night' Buffy told Faith. 'Their buildings are pretty secure.'

'Must suck for them that there's an apocalypse going on and it's not theirs' Faith replied.

'Nobody likes to play the game when someone else gets to suddenly re-write the rules in their favour' Buffy observed. 'All that planning and preparation over centuries to end the world in a slow grind and then the First Evil arrives and screws up the whole thing' she said. 'Hey it _is_ like back home except that there it was Illyria who messed with the great plan' she decided.

'I guess the evil lawyers never get to catch a break anywhere' Faith commented. 'Maybe we should give Lilah a hug?' she suggested with a laugh.

'She'd only expect us to put a dagger in her back' Buffy replied.

'You're more the stab them in the front type' Faith replied. 'Which is making me nervous up here on the roof I've got to say' she continued deadpan, before eventually laughing again.

Buffy looked appalled. 'How can you make a joke about something like that?' she asked.

'Because if you needed a slayer to feed to another vampire there's plenty of others to choose from this time around' Faith replied in amusement. 'Chill out B, it's either laugh or cry and that coma you put me in was the best nap I ever had.'

'It's not funny Faith' Buffy insisted.

'I went evil, you stopped me' Faith stated flatly, 'I'm not evil any more, it's all in the past and you're wrapped up _way_ too tight these days' she told her.

'I am _not_ wrapped up way too tight' Buffy responded defensively.

'Crap' Faith retorted dismissively. 'You walk around with an expression on your face that says "I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders" all the damn time and it's making you grouchy and depressing' she said. 'You need to relax, take time and smell the flowers or some shit like that' she advised.

'I'm not grouchy either' Buffy declared.

'B I'm just surprised that the girls don't call you Oscar' Faith told her with a grin.

Buffy glared at her then smirked. '_I'm_ not the one that was turned into a Muppet' she retorted.

Faith's grin turned into a scowl. 'I thought we agreed after it happened that one was off-limits' she replied, even Illyria usually restrained herself from bringing that acutely embarrassing episode up when they argued, you don't go nuclear unless the situation warrants that kind of escalation.

'Going to beat the _stuffing_ out of me?' Buffy asked sweetly.

'Not funny' Faith told her flatly, the setting sun hiding the fact she was starting to blush.

'No it's definitely funny' Buffy disagreed. 'Do you laugh like Elmo if you're tickled? Maybe I should try the spot where the knife went in?' she suggested, pretending to do so.

'Hey' Faith objected.

'Oh so _you_ get to make jokes about it but I don't?' Buffy asked. 'That hypocrisy thing working out for you is it?'

Faith sighed. 'This being up on a roof together thing never goes well' she said. 'Do you remember the helicopter with the watchers and the machine-gun?'

'Difficult to forget that one especially when the guy that was flying it is on the payroll these days' Buffy replied, she did like sending Garfield out to collect Take-Out though, it was so convenient even if Anya objected to the expense of burning all that aviation fuel just to get freshly prepared Thai food at Shadow Valley.

'Sundown' Faith said. 'Now if Rebecca is right about how they do things then...'

Faith stopped mid-sentence as the flash of a large explosion a few miles away momentarily lit up the sky then another somewhere else and then a third went off in quick succession just in time for the sound of the first to reach them. The lights went off across a whole swathe of Los Angeles as the electricity supplying them failed.

'Bringers blew up the grid' Buffy said dispassionately as the Hyperion was thrown into darkness. A good proportion of the Los Angeles power transmission lines were still above ground making them an easy target, vulnerable to attack.

'They do like their bombs I guess' Faith observed. 'Hey they're still going' she continued as more explosions even further away took out the grid supplying other parts of the city.

'That'll keep the police busy at least' Buffy reasoned, a blackout in some parts of Los Angeles could easily lead to a crimewave. 'I guess the First Evil doesn't want the authorities involved any more than we do' she said.

'We're going to be deep in Turok-Han any time soon' Faith said as the sound of sirens started to wail in the darkness, the LAPD moving into high gear. 'It's going to be a long night B' she said.

'They think the darkness belongs to them' Buffy replied, as another slayer who was just visible as a shadow in the night passed her something.

'Poor dumb bastards' Faith responded.

Buffy put on the night-vision goggles she had been handed and switched them on. As always they interfered with her depth perception a little but it was more than worth it to be able to see in pitch black conditions. As she looked around she saw Faith putting on a set herself but getting her long hair caught in the strap. 'You should tie that up before a fight like I do' she advised.

'Or maybe I could try putting it in pigtails' Faith responded sarcastically as she untangled her hair and managed to get the goggles into place and switched on. 'Actually Wes might like that' she decided. 'Wouldn't be the first time I did the schoolgirl thing for a guy' she said, wondering if she could get Buffy to blush and if so whether you could tell with the goggles on.

'Before I hear any more could we just get back to a more wholesome discussion about us fighting to the death instead?' Buffy requested.

'Given your lack of a sex-life I'd have thought you'd _want_ to live vicariously though mine' Faith replied, 'and I'm leaving before I end up stabbed and falling off a building again' she added, departing with feigned urgency while trying not to laugh.

'You'll pay for that' Buffy called after her, 'you can't hide behind the threat of a few thousand Turok-Han forever' she declared.

'I wouldn't have played dirty if you hadn't mentioned Muppets' Faith called back.

Buffy crossed her arms, deciding to vent her frustration on the first dozen or so uber-vamps that turned up. 'Better go fetch my scythe I suppose' she said, following on behind Faith. 'Damn I meant to charge my iPOD before the power went off' she realised, 'I need to hire a Personal Assistant to do stuff like that' she said. Well she was the Head of a Multinational and Multi-Dimensional Corporation after all right, she thought, and unlike Wolfram and Hart SlayerCorp didn't cower away from the likes of the First Evil. That had to be worth a six-figure executive bonus too on its own she decided, wondering if she could make that sound reasonable to the rest of the Board of Directors and glad they didn't have public shareholders.

**Shadow Valley – California – November 2005**

The canteen was only about a third occupied, what with so many girls off-world, and Robin Wood found Illyria there on her own table eating a plate of what looked like Tortilla Chips. She was dipping them into a small bowl of salsa as she read through what appeared to be a stack of papers, adding notes as she went. 'You don't have to do that' he told her, 'I'm sure I could mark those test papers if Fred or Knox are still working on whatever it is they're working on tomorrow' he said.

'With my Wesley away I need something to occupy my time' she replied, looking up from the papers. 'I can only play computer games so much before I am bored and this is more productive in any case' she said, offering him the plate of chips one of which he took, dipping it in the salsa and putting it in his mouth.

Woods eyes immediately started to run and it felt like his mouth was on fire. 'What _is_ this?' he gasped.

'I spiced up some regular salsa with Red Savina chilli peppers' Illyria replied, amused by his reaction. 'The hottest Jalapeno records as ten-thousand Scoville units of heat whereas Red Savina measures in the hundreds of thousands' she told him. 'Totally yummy' she enthused.

'For someone that has blast-proof tastebuds maybe' Wood replied. 'Why don't you just put police pepper-spray on your tongue instead?' Wood asked sardonically, wiping away the tears.

'Wesley objected, it lingered for so long he would not kiss me for many hours afterwards' Illyria replied honestly, helping herself to another chip. 'Besides which it made everything else seem too bland' she added.

Since running off to get a glass of water would look extremely un-macho Wood decided to tough it out and the burning sensation was starting to ease. 'Thanks for covering Fred's class today' he told her.

'She and Knox were busy with a project and I was at a loose end in any case' Illyria replied. 'I enjoyed teaching again, it helped that the girls paid more rapt attention than the students did back in Sunnydale when I was pretending to be a TA' she noted.

'The girls here know what you really are, that probably made the difference' Wood told her with a chuckle. 'Teaching Assistant Ria Burkle of Sunnydale High wasn't expected by the class to rip out the spines of disobedient teenagers' he pointed out.

'An effective method of control which you and Buffy refused to let me employ' Illyria replied. 'It would have only taken one demonstration to bring the others into line' she said with certainty.

'The School Board wouldn't have like it' Wood told her.

'They would not have been difficult to remove from the equation either' Illyria replied, 'which reminds me, many of the class were unable to follow simple equations on the blackboard, I have therefore ordered them to attend extra class on Saturday morning when I will give remedial tuition' she told him.

'How did they receive that news?' Wood queried,

'Fatalistically' Illyria replied, 'likely because the response to more vocal objections was perceived as possibly fatal to the objectors.'

Robin Wood smiled. 'I doubt many girls think you'll kill them any more' he told her.

'That's a horrible thing to say' Illyria responded, immediately upset by the implication that slayers no longer feared for their lives in her presence. 'I have feelings you know' she told him with a pout.

'I'd bet quite a lot of them would expect you to cause severe physical damage the next time you sparred though' Wood told her quickly, she looked genuinely upset. 'They know you know they'll heal so it wouldn't be a waste of a good slayer.'

Illyria thought about that one. 'Oh, so they think I wouldn't kill them because it would be bad logistics, not because I'm perceived as having gone soft?' she rationalised. 'I can accept that' she told him. 'I would certainly wish to be thought of as a competent strategist' she said with relief.

'I don't think incompetence is an attribute anyone would ever ascribe to you Illyria' Wood responded. 'To be honest I thought you would go straight back to the Hyperion after you helped out with the class' he admitted.

'With so many of the most seasoned warriors off with Buffy it seems prudent to be here ready to lead the remaining slayers into battle if an enemy should attack' Illyria explained.

Wood nodded slowly. 'I heard another theory from an unnamed source who said you were worried about your...' he paused, 'should I say clan? Is that the right word?' he checked.

'Enyo is of my clan by strict definition, as is Wesley my consort' Illyria replied, 'Faith might qualify as an associate' she told him. 'I am not fearful for Enyo, Turok-Han are pathetic foes for one of my people, Wesley is more fragile and he takes foolish risks with his life' she continued then sighed. 'I hope that Enyo and Faith look after him' she said then frowned. 'I find I also hope that Enyo and Wesley look after Faith which is perplexing' she admitted.

'I recall that Arthur liked Lancelot too' Wood remarked.

'Which didn't mean he liked that Lancelot was getting it on with Guinevere' Illyria replied curtly. 'Perhaps it is merely that my subconscious cannot accept anyone but me getting to kill her?' she theorised. 'It _would_ be deeply unsatisfactory' she decided.

'Or perhaps deep down you accept the situation and wouldn't want anyone to hurt her, even you' Wood countered.

Illyria glared at him. 'Are you _trying_ to upset or annoy me with these hurtful or insulting observations you keep making?' she asked coldly.

'No I'm really not' Wood replied quickly as a matter of self-preservation. 'You know if you're this worried about them why did you stay here?' he asked, changing the subject to something less hazardous to life and limb.

'I disagreed with the decision to get so involved in such a long-term commitment and have the courage of my convictions' Illyria replied, continuing to glare at him suspiciously. 'By remaining in this world I can also protect our holdings and if necessary lead a relief force to rescue them' she continued before looking to the papers again. 'I should return to the marking' she told him. 'I have to respond to some correspondence also and need to phrase it with thought' she added, indicating an envelope partially obscured by the pile of already marked papers.

'I thought you were an email enthusiast not a letter writer?' Wood queried, the notion of an aeons-old demon being a technophile was pretty amusing he decided and knew he wasn't the only person that thought so.

Illyria shrugged. 'Normally I do prefer the efficiency of electronic communication' she replied, 'but the letter is from the daughter of two of my followers who my own offspring suggested write to me' she explained before frowning. 'She asks for a pony for Christmas though I do not think that an appropriate gift for a seven-year old and will have to come up with something more suitable' she said.

'You're writing to a little girl?' Robin Wood asked nonplussed, the notion that children might be sending letters to the God-King of the Primordium like they would Santa Claus was pretty weird too he thought to himself. Wood then idly wondered if checking of lists was involved and if given her oft-mentioned stance that she was beyond human conceptions of good or evil whether the children had to balance out the naughty and nice to get their presents.

'What kind of deity worthy of the name does not respond to a plea from their worshippers' Illyria asked rhetorically, 'even if the answer is only "No" rather than the desired one?' she continued. 'Knox filters out the kookier stuff that arrives via my website, it is unfortunate but a fair number of my new human followers seem a touch deranged, the type that would usually join the cult of some charlatan' she said regretfully. 'Many have expressed surprise I don't ask for money' she noted sadly. 'Religion should be less brazenly commercial' she opined.

Wood raised his eyebrows. 'So how many people are there in the Church of the Latter Day Old Ones?' he asked, intrigued.

'Several thousand now and growing at an acceptable rate' Illyria told him. 'Knox thinks we should pursue tax-exempt status but I do not see why churches should not pay their dues to society like everyone else' she said. 'In any case you are still distracting me from my task' she told him. 'Go pester another' she commanded imperiously.

'Always interesting to talk to you Illyria' Wood told her, getting up to leave.

'Of that I am certain' the God-King replied, taking another chip, dipping it in the salsa and popping it into her mouth before returning to grading the papers, ignoring him completely from that point on.

Robin Wood spotted another occasional member of the faculty elsewhere in the canteen and decided to have a word with them too. Whilst the new French class was apparently going well he really needed to remind Ashton about the bounds of acceptable vocabulary in High School education.

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

The power had been down for twenty minutes before scouts started reporting seeing signs of Turok-Han. Kennedy had been starting to get bored but now it was nearly game-time and as she led a dozen crossbow armed slayers at the run into the dark streets surrounding the Hyperion she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as well as her scythe hanging on a leather strap hitting her on the back as she went.

They didn't have enough sets of night-vision goggles for everyone so Kennedy and her group weren't wearing them but all the crossbows had a similar device already fitted on them which were perfectly adequate for the job at hand as they reached the main road a mass of uber-vamps were apparently heading down towards the hotel. 'Okay you know the plan' Kennedy whispered to the others as she spotted the lead Turok-Han. 'Take careful aim, I want every bolt fired to end up in a heart because hit them anywhere else and they'll just get cranky' she said.

'Are you sure this will work?' a slayer asked nervously.

Kennedy grinned. 'I've done this before and compared to Turok-Han the Skilosh I did it to last time were geniuses' she replied. 'Okay follow me and get ready to form up' she ordered almost gleefully.

The First Evil had rallied every Turok-Han he could muster in the Los Angeles Area, moving them through the sewers by day and losing only a fraction of them in skirmishing with small teams of slayers underground as they went. He needed to wipe out these inter-dimensional interlopers before they could get established so there was no holding back, these were his most powerful and dangerous warriors, the vampires that even vampires fear, at least as strong as a slayer but tougher and with unmatched ferocity.

Not so much an army as a mob the first group of Turok-Han collected themselves as best they could and headed towards the Hyperion. The First Evil had little command and control over them beyond "Go to this place and kill everything there" but that should be more than enough given the way slayers fought he knew, losses would probably be heavy but Turok-Han were cheap and you could always get more of the things to replace them after all.

Able to see perfectly well in the dark the pack of perhaps two hundred uber-vamps spotted the humans ahead and catching the scent of slayer in the night air they instantly snarled and surged to the attack, a mass of teeth and fury in the night intent on tearing their enemy apart and feeding on their blood.

'Take aim' Kennedy ordered, her line of slayers raising their crossbows and sighting on the oncoming foe. It was easy, just aim for the heart and... 'Fire!' she yelled once they were in effective range, pulling the trigger on her own crossbow, the volley of steel-tipped wooden bolts loosed as one, hurtling through the air and punching through the heavy chest-plate of bone and sinew that protected the heart of their targets.

'Move!' Kennedy shouted and as one the slayers ran away from the mob who had ignored the loss of their comrades simply running through the clouds of dust which had been other vampires only a split second before.

The slayers were not in flight however, after fifty yards they stopped as one, turned back, reloaded their crossbows and took aim once more. 'Fire' Kennedy yelled a second time and as another dozen Turok-Han exploded into dust the slayers sprinted away once more.

After the fourth time they did this it was starting to get funny, the increasingly enraged Turok-Han kept chasing and the slayers just kept ahead of them, firing a volley, sprinting away and doing it again. 'These things are dumb as a bag of hammers' a slayer opined, laughing as she reloaded her heavy arbalest crossbow yet again. Not only were they killing the things off at a steady rate without endangering themselves they were also not drawing this group of Turok-Han away from the Hyperion just like the plan expected them too.

'Told you it would work' Kennedy declared, laughing herself as she took aim.

A bright flash of light between the slayers and the Turok-Han momentarily lit up the area and the slayers were momentarily blinded as the First Evil appearing in the form of Faith of all people appeared between them, the Turok-Han stopping their futile pursuit as their master, or perhaps mistress, glared at them. 'Stop it you idiots' the First Evil yelled at them. 'The hotel is that way' it said, pointing back towards the direction of the Hyperion.

Kennedy fired right through the First Evil to dust another Turok-Han and stuck out her tongue as it span around to direct its glare at her instead. 'You need smarter minions' she told it with a grin.

'Don't you fucking _dare_' the First Evil told the Turok-Han turning back around to face them because the damn things were about to start chasing the slayers again. 'That way, _now_!' it ordered and the snarling uber-vamps reluctantly turned back and started running towards the Hyperion.

The First Evil in Faiths form gave Kennedy the finger then disappeared again in another flash of light. 'Well that was just rude' Kennedy complained before laughing again. 'Okay remember that if you're shooting them in the back aim for the other side of the torso to get the heart' she said and with that she and the others started chasing the Turok-Han back down the street pausing to fire and reload as they went.

Apparently from what the scouts and observers could tell the First Evil had intended for three large forces of Turok-Han to form up and attack from different directions but while the first group did at least manage to form up the second never even got the chance to do that before small teams of slayers with Connor tagging along started hit and run tactics against them, with a few ambushes thrown in for good measure. Once again the lack of discipline and organisation of the uber-vamps played right into the hands of the slayers as a series of ambushes, feigned retreats and small-scale counter-attacks wreaked havoc on the opposition, by the time the First Evil arrived in person and managed to get the second group of Turok-Han into a semblance of order and heading the right way it had already been halved in number and running far behind schedule.

Unfortunately for the third group of Turok-Han they conversely _were_ running precisely on schedule and reached the alley behind the Hyperion long before their comrades were even heading in the right direction. They had been ordered to surround the building before attacking it but because only a third as many arrived as had been expected to accomplish the task they were soon spread much thinner than the First Evil had ever contemplated.

Inside the Hyperion Lobby Buffy looked to Faith. 'You know Napoleon had something to say about a situation like this' she told her.

'Napoleon?' Faith queried in surprise, looking around at the other slayers who were clearly psyching themselves up for the fight. Roughly half of all the girls had stayed back at the hotel ready for the pitched battle that was bound to come.

'I've been reading a couple of books on strategy and tactics' Buffy said, 'watching Illyria out-think all those bugs in Scotland made me decide there had to be something in it all' she said.

'So what did he say?' Faith asked.

'When you occupy a position which the enemy threatens to surround, you should collect your forces quickly and menace him with an offensive movement' Buffy quoted.

'If you're going to start listening to Napoleon he also said it is not set speeches at the moment of battle that render soldiers brave. The veteran scarcely listens to them, and the recruit forgets them at the first discharge' one of the Wesley's commented, Buffy was sure it must be her one but it was impossible to tell.

'Sounds like the dudes got a lot of things for you to keep in mind B' Faith observed, trying not to laugh.

Buffy muttered to herself in annoyance, she'd had a great speech planned for this moment too, really inspiring. 'CHARGE!' she improvised instead and slayers started pouring out of the building to fight the Turok-Han.

By the time Kennedy and her team arrived at the building just behind the uber-vamps they had been chasing the fighting was pure melee. The Turok-Han who had surrounded the Hyperion were too spread out to fight them as a spear-line so this was basically old-school slayer action, Buffy, Faith and the minority of girls with scythes carving through the vampires while the rest pitted stake and short-sword against teeth and fury. The girls had scattered hundreds of glow-sticks around the outside of the hotel and they threw off enough light to see well enough for close-quarter combat.

Kennedy watched as two vampires attacked a seemingly unarmed girl only to suddenly be swatted aside by an invisible force that sent them flying away. A discarded stake lifted from the ground and then shot through the air to slam through the chest of one of them as it tried to get back up. 'Okay, remind me never to piss that chick off' Kennedy said to herself as Bethany used her telekinetic powers again to smash another nearby Turok-Han aside.

'This would be easier if we could just shoot them up with Bucky' a gunslayer complained, getting into it with her short-sword. 'We don't train a lot for this Dark Ages shit' she said, ramming her enchanted blade right through the throat of a Turok-Han.

'You need to get back to your roots more often' another slayer told her as she head-butted another vampire in the face, smashing in its nose and sending it staggering back, it's blood decorating her face.

'There's nothing wrong with her roots more peroxide wouldn't fix' another girl joked before decapitating a Turok-Han with her shiny new scythe, it was the first time she had gotten to use it and so far it was sweet.

The gunslayer pulled her sword out of the Turok-Hans neck and was rewarded with a jet of blood which sprayed over her. 'Decided to go red not blond this time' she joked as the vampire fell backwards, gurgling on its own blood and clutching the gaping hole in its throat.

Keeping well out of the mayhem upstairs but watching through an open window and listening with a mixture of horror and amazement Gwen Raiden turned to Kate Lockley. 'They're maniacs' she declared.

'Yeah' Kate agreed, 'but look at them go' she said in awe as the slayers ruthlessly took the Turok-Han apart.

The First Evil not appearing as Buffy stood and watched from nearby with displeasure, arms crossed and scowling. 'Should have just got the Bringers to blow up the building' it said in annoyance as its losses rapidly mounted.

'Wouldn't have worked, I can sense Bringers' a voice interrupted him. 'And you for that matter' it continued, getting louder as the speaker approached.

The First Evil turned and stared at the figure walking towards it. 'You're an Old One' it said incredulously. 'Or at least I _think_ you are' it continued in confusion.

'I am Enyo, God-Princess of the Holocene, Warrior of the Slayer Legions and Heir to the Covenant' the demon introduced itself. 'Hellspawn of Illyria and Berith' it added by way of further explanation. 'This world is now added to our domain' it declared. 'Our armies will crush your pathetic forces underfoot.'

'These slayers are working for _you_?' the First Evil asked incredulously.

'My mother Illyria has crafted the slayers of our home dimension into a sword that will carve the multiverse asunder' Enyo declared. 'Every battle hones their abilities still further, every world we control brings more glory, power and and honour to the Clan' she continued. 'As long as we play lip-service to the notion of protecting the humans from the likes of you the slayers follow willingly' she said. 'Thank you for being the unwitting instrument of your own destruction for you know we cannot countenance any power but our own.'

'This world belongs to _me_' the First Evil stated.

'No longer' Enyo replied flatly.

The First Evil looked at her and baulked, it needed to preserve all the forces it could because this was far from being the war it had expected to fight. It ran towards the fighting screaming for its Turok-Han to retreat and they began to obey, running from the battle.

Enyo morphed into Rebecca. 'Incorporeal schmuck' she said, rolling her eyes. It was when an army was fleeing in disorder that it would pay most heavily in casualties and army was far too generous a term for the mob of Turok-Han in any case, even calling them rabble was complementary. 'Better tell Auntie B to chase them down and wipe them out I suppose' she said with a sigh, though to her surprise she then saw that Buffy was already leading the girls in a pursuit, running down the retreating uber-vamps. 'Maybe she's learning?' Rebecca wondered, 'that's an interesting turn of events' she remarked to herself before grinning and joining in the chase.


	14. Chapter 14

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**Hyperion Hotel – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'I still think we should bust Xander out of jail' Faith opined, continuing to clean off her scythe in the lobby. Apart from a few standing watch for Harbingers they had all grabbed a few hours sleep as soon as the sun came back up and were now cleaning off their equipment after the previous nights festivities. 'Should have done this before it started to congeal' she muttered to herself.

'It's pretty gloopy to start with' Kennedy remarked as she did likewise with her own scythe. 'I usually get Stephen to do this, he really brings out the shine' she said. 'I'd think it was OCD but he's only fussy about cleaning weapons' she continued. 'Buffy you know some psych stuff right? Is there such a thing as _selective_ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?' she asked.

Buffy had already finished her scythe and was now inspecting "Mr Pointy" the trusty stake given to her by Kendra years before, she used it sparingly these days because it was probably due for retirement but it had never let her down yet. 'No that's just being anal' she replied.

'Okay I can buy that' Kennedy responded. 'He _can_ be a pain the ass' she joked, causing Faith to break out laughing setting off a few other slayers into the bargain. 'Seriously though you might want to try the stuff he puts on stakes too' she advised Buffy, 'I think its Linseed Oil, brings out the grain and makes them shiny as well as giving them a stronger surface.'

'Linseed oil is what they put on cricket bats' Faith told her, 'that's probably where D'artagnon got the idea' she suggested then paused. 'How the hell do I know that?' she asked rhetorically, looking confused.

Buffy grinned. 'I think you've been spending too much time with Wesley' she observed.

'Did he make you watch those games between England and Australia that bored the crap out of me for months because Stephen always had them on satellite TV?' Kennedy suggested.

A look of realisation spread across Faith's face. 'Right, they were called the Ashes or some shit' she said. 'Wes and Spike kept hijacking the plasma screen at the Hyperion' she recalled, '_Our_ Hyperion I mean' she added redundantly.

'You'll like tea and scones next' Buffy told her.

'Good thing I'm Boston Irish' Faith replied, 'I've got a degree of natural resistance' she said, returning to her scythe.

Two Wesley's walked into the Lobby from the direction of the basement talking animatedly about shotguns. 'No I still think that double-ought buckshot is a better bet than flechette loads' one opined, 'how often is the greater range an issue?' he asked.

'I've had a few occasions when I would have wanted more reach' the other responded.

'Then just keep a few Brenneke slugs in your pocket' the first advised.

'Easier to miss' the other pointed out.

'Oh look, Wes found his soul mate' Buffy said loudly, causing both to stop their conversation and look at her.

'I thought _I_ was your soul-mate Wes' Faith told her one, feigning to be upset.

'So not Illyria then?' Kennedy asked.

'Hard to be a soul-mate when you don't have a soul' Faith replied. 'Are you and your new best friend going to go on a play-date?' she asked her boyfriend with a grin. 'Remember to be home before it gets dark.'

'Illyria might not have a soul in the strictest sense of the world but at least she doesn't mock me' Wesley observed sadly.

'It keeps you grounded' Faith told him.

'So is that why you do it?' Buffy asked, intrigued.

'Nah, it's just funny yanking your watchers chain' Faith replied, 'don't tell me you don't do it to Giles and Stevey-Boy?' she asked Buffy and Kennedy.

'Slight difference, we're not _sleeping_ with ours' Kennedy noted. 'Your Slayer/Watcher dynamic is a whole lot creepier than ours' she opined, Buffy nodding her wholehearted agreement.

'They're only issues if you make an issue out of them' Faith told them. 'Right lover?' she asked her Wesley.

'Sanity, stability and appropriate behaviour are overrated concepts anyway' Wesley agreed.

Kennedy looked to Buffy. 'Well I'm happier about Stephen's possible OCD now anyway' she said. 'How are _your_ Watcher issues going?' she asked.

Buffy thought about that one. 'I'm still trying to get over him having sex with my mother on the hood of a police car to be honest' she said. 'That's a mental image that will stick with you better than Turok-Han blood sticks to a fleece top' she declared.

Two Wesley's, Kennedy, Faith and every other slayer in the room instantly stopped what they were doing and stared at Buffy. 'B, don't even _think_ about not telling that story' Faith told her seriously.

Buffy smiled, well Giles did advise her to develop a better rapport with the team she thought and she didn't think Mom would mind. Dawn would never look at Giles the same way again though after the story spread though.

As for Dawn herself at this time she was out walking the neighbourhood with Connor and her own alternate-universe double, they were pretty much the only people around, there weren't even many cars on the move as people hunkered down at home. 'Losing Buffy so soon after losing Mom was the worst thing that happened in my life' she said. 'I can't imagine what it was like losing her a second time.'

The other Dawn looked at the ground as they continued walking. 'I was just numb for so long' she said quietly. 'I lost everyone, one after the other' she continued, before looking up. 'Xander, can you get Xander?' she asked.

'You mean bust him out of jail?' Dawn queried, flashing a look at Connor. 'We could couldn't we?' she asked him.

'Probably better check with your sister first but I can't see it being difficult' Connor replied. 'Willow could probably teleport him out and make everyone in the jail think he was still there' he suggested. 'Or we could do it without magic, blow a hole in the wall like in that cowboy film we watched with Clint Eastwood looking like Wesley.'

'Connor likes action movies' Dawn told her double. 'Horror films not so much' she added.

'Nobody does demons right in the movies or on TV' Connor stated. 'It's hard to suspend disbelief' he said, looking round and spotting a pile of dust nearby. He walked over, bent down, poked his finger into it and tasted it.

'That's gross Connor' Dawn told him with a grimace.

'Turok-Han' Connor replied. 'It's completely sterile' he told her. 'Tastes slightly different than the ones in our universe' he said, 'unless that's the air pollution throwing off my senses' he theorised.

The power seemed to be gradually coming back on as repairs were made to the electricity grid but the sound of distant sirens indicated that order had still not been fully restored elsewhere in the city. The sudden blackout the previous night had provided the diversion the First Evil had wanted with looting and a few small riots breaking out and keeping the authorities away from the Hyperion and now in the aftermath the LAPD was trying to put a lid on the situation while the Fire Department struggled to quench a myriad of small and occasionally not so small fires.

Of course with the police otherwise occupied with more pressing concerns some of the other less than law-abiding sections of the LA population were now taking advantage and a small distance further on the trio were confronted by a mugger who pulled a switchblade on them demanding their money.

Connor looked to Dawn for advice. 'Don't kill him' she said simply, before Connor easily disarmed the mugger in one smooth move and then effortlessly broke the mans arm before knocking him unconscious with a right cross which he pulled so as to only break the muggers jaw not his neck.

Dropping the knife down the nearest drain Connor then dragged the unconscious criminal to the side of the road while Dawn grinned and taking a Sharpie permanent marker from the handbag she was carrying she wrote "Mugger" on his forehead. 'Nice touch' the other Dawn told her approvingly. 'Your boyfriend is pretty useful to have around too even if he does taste vampire dust' she said.

'I'm still working on his rough edges but he's great in the sack too' Dawn replied, Connor going a bright shade of red in response. 'Want to see if we can find a diner that's open?' she asked. 'I'm buying, our money looks just like yours' she said, leading off. 'So is your Wesley with your Fred or was I imagining that?' she asked curiously.

'Sort of, it's not been a good couple of years for romance' the local Dawn told her.

'You should _always_ find time for romance' Dawn declared.

Connor laughed. 'She schedules at least an hour of spontaneity every day' he said.

'I do the funny lines and the irony Connor, you beat up the muggers and dust the vampires' Dawn told him as she walked ahead, now arm-in-arm with her double. 'He's very predictable, he'll be checking out our asses right now and thinking depraved thoughts' she told the other Dawn who giggled.

Connor ignored them, he had been checking them both out but he wasn't going to admit it. He turned back to the unconscious form of the criminal instead. 'I'm always getting mugged' he noted. 'I must look rich' he theorised. Maybe next time he should just pull out his morphing blade and show the mugger concerned what a real knife looks like he decided.

**Restaurant – Los Angeles – November 2005**

Gunn looked at Angel suspiciously after he ordered for the four of them in French. 'And that's _definitely_ what I said I wanted?' he asked. It felt strange to be going on with their lives like this while somewhere else, well in another _alternate_ Los Angeles to be precise, some of their people were out fighting the good fight but that was just something you needed to put to the back of your mind on occasion. Xander and Anya were on their damn honeymoon for Christ's sake so going out to eat didn't really seem so bad thinking about it. If you never allowed yourself some time for your own personal life then you would almost certainly unravel and then you'd be no use to anyone Gunn knew, or at least that's how he justified it to himself when he took a well-earned break from sticking it to evil. It was all about the mission but what was the point of succeeding in it if you had to give up too much of yourself and your happiness because of it?

'You're getting the same as Nina except that her steak is coming rare' Angel told him.

'I'd order it raw if I could but you get funny looks from the waiter if you do that' Nina told them with a smile before reaching for her glass of wine. 'This was a nice idea' she told Anne, 'It's so hard to drag Angel out sometimes.'

'I had to tell Gunn it was either dinner in a nice restaurant or we go to see Pride and Prejudice at the movies instead' Anne replied. 'Sometimes I just want to escape from the Shelter completely' she said.

'Oh I wanted to see that' Nina responded,' maybe we could all go see it next week?' she suggested enthusiastically.

Angel and Gunn looked at each other with an expression of mutual despair. 'I lived through that era, it's highly romanticised' Angel observed. 'I liked the clothing styles though and the fact it was socially acceptable to carry a sword everywhere was handy' he admitted.

'It's the romance that's the point' Nina told him. 'Usually I get dragged to action movies' she told Anne.

'You too huh' Anne replied. 'I don't think men ever grow up, Gunn collects toy robots and comics' she said in amusement.

Nina laughed. 'Have you heard Angel talk about his car?' she queried before leaning forward to whisper. 'If he loved it any more he might lose his soul' she joked.

'And _this_ is why I said it was a bad idea to double-date' Gunn told Angel. 'They're going to spend the whole evening with the character assassination' he said.

Angel sighed. 'Looks like it' he agreed dejectedly. 'Although Connor took Dawn here once on a double date with Stephen and Emily a couple of years back and they dusted a vampire that showed up' he said.

'Think that might happen to us too?' Gunn asked optimistically.

'It's not too likely' Angel replied apologetically. 'There were more of them around back then and most couldn't afford the prices here anyway.'

'Darn' Gunn responded sadly.

'Good choice on the wine' Nina told Angel after taking a sip.

'My sense of taste for food and drink isn't fantastic but I can _smell_ a good vintage a mile off' Angel told her. 'We walked past another table that was drinking it when we came in and I noted the label' he explained.

Anne looked awkward for a few seconds like she wanted to ask something but wasn't quite sure if she should. Eventually she decided to go ahead and say it. 'So do you have a better sense of smell too?' she asked Nina, 'What with being a werewolf I mean?' she added as a whisper.

Nina giggled. 'Yes but it's not as refined as Angel's' she replied eventually, amused at the question. 'Sometimes I can tell who was in a room before I was and when my niece bought some friends home from school once I found I really kick-ass at hide and go-seek these days' she declared.

'Okay so now I've got a question' Gunn said. 'Did you always like your steaks rare?' he asked curiously.

'Not to the same degree of freshness' Nina replied. 'I never used to look at a live cow on TV and have these cravings to take a bite out of its ass in the old days' she said then paused. 'And fetching things never gave me the same thrill either if that was going to be the next question' she joked. 'So did Angel tell you I've got an exhibition coming up?' she asked, changing the subject before the evening's conversation ended up revolving entirely around her furry alter-ego.

'No' Gunn lied, causing Nina to turn and glare at her boyfriend.

'Yes I did' Angel defended himself. 'Enough that Spike told me to stop mentioning it' he stated, himself glaring at Gunn.

Gunn chuckled. 'Yeah he's talked about it a few times' he admitted.

'Boasting about the clever girlfriend?' Nina asked Angel with a smile.

'You're very talented' Angel replied, 'and yes' he added sheepishly. Angel liked Nina a lot, she was very attractive of course which was a big plus, and blond was his type, but they had a mutual interest in art as a common ground beyond the supernatural which meant he enjoyed spending time with her generally. It wasn't all-consuming, soul-releasing passion and intensity but he was as happy as he suspected it was safe to be and besides which Nina was _definitely_ hotter than that teacher Spike had been seeing lately.

'Well to be fair I did once drag the handsome Private Detective I'm dating to parties to show him off' Nina responded. 'He looked so out-of-place and awkward though I thought it would be cruel to ever do it again.'

'You _have_ done it again' Angel pointed out. Nina had made him attend several social functions with her friends during all of which he had revealed his ongoing inability to socialise.

'Because I _am_ cruel' Nina replied playfully. 'If it makes you feel better they say you work the dark and broody thing really well' she told him.

'Method acting, you've got to live the role right?' Gunn said. 'Hey if De Niro ever played a vampire do you think he'd spend a couple of months drinking blood first?' he asked. 'They say he actually drove a Taxi for real before doing Taxi Driver.'

'I am _not_ living the role' Angel protested.

'In the sense that you're not technically alive or the sense your personality isn't a tiny bit affected' Nina asked sweetly, causing Gunn to grin.

Angel fought back the urge to pout. 'Pick on Gunn' he said. 'It's his turn' he continued. 'What about those toy robots?' he asked.

'They're collectibles' Gunn responded.

'Doesn't that guy Andrew collect Star Wars collectibles?' Anne queried, playing along.

'Don't go there woman' Gunn warned her, 'dangerous territory comparing this coolness right here to that dude' he declared pointing to himself before turning to Angel with an annoyed look. 'Thanks for re-directing the fire in my direction bro' he told him sarcastically.

'If you'd stepped up to help me I wouldn't have' Angel replied.

'Hey I've always got your back' Gunn told him. 'Unless it's funny not to' he added by way of explanation. 'Why do we take this from the girls here anyway?' he asked.

'Because we're so hot' Anne told him, Nina nodding her agreement earnestly.

Gunn thought about that. 'She's right' he conceded just as the waiter arrived with their first course. It was turning into a good, relaxing evening he decided, maybe after another few glasses of that wine and a good meal he might just start to forget what Angel really was behind the human mask.

**Southern California - Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'Shouldn't have let Dawn choose the transport' Buffy stated as the bus doors opened and she got out at the side of the road. They had hired five of them providing the drivers themselves thanks to so many of the girls having their Commercial Drivers License, real not faked unlike most of their ID generally, and along with a pair of jeeps they had driven as a convoy from LA timed to arrive here shortly after daybreak maximising the time they would have to scout the area in relative safety.

'Oh this is too weird' Willow declared, exiting the bus after Buffy and looking out over the town. 'It's just like ours' she continued, 'I mean except for the whole not being a big hole' she said.

Buffy looked at the sign that indicated the city limits. 'Welcome to Sunnydale' she said wryly, reading it. Where it had said population 32,500 at one time a red line had been drawn across it in red and "Dead" added in the same paint. Someone else had then subsequently prefaced "Dead" with "Un" in a different colour. 'Cute' she said as everyone started to get out of the buses.

The Dawn's had been on one of the other buses and trotted up to join them, one looking a lot more confident and happy to be there than the other. 'Dawn asks if we can collect some things she left behind in her house' the more enthusiastic of them said.

'Don't see why not assuming the Bringers haven't blown it up or something' Buffy replied. 'Just get it checked for booby-traps first just in case' she advised. 'I think Vi's had all her maniacs trained in defusing bombs as well as using them to blow stuff up by now.'

'Can I choose which one I get to take?' her sister requested.

'No' Buffy told her. 'Who's the one with the big mouth and the punk hairstyle Will?' she asked her best friend.

'Simone I think' Willow replied.

'Take Simone with you' Buffy told the two Dawns, she remembered being told that the girl was an undisciplined pain in the ass by Vi but was good with guns and explosives.

'Can't we take Connor?' her Dawn requested.

'No he's our best scout, I want him with the team going to check out the school' Buffy replied. Connor had superior senses to a slayer and a nose for trouble which Buffy respected even if she still couldn't quite get over the fact he was screwing her little sister. 'Take a regular slayer as well as Simone' she decided, 'find one with a scythe' she said, thinking more about it, if there were Turok-Han hiding in wait to ambush one of the more experienced girls with one of the mighty signature weapons of the slayer sisterhood would make quick work of them.

Willow turned back towards the buses as the girls poured out, getting ready to move into the town on foot. The gunslayers were wearing urban warfare gear, grey and black fatigues, which made them stand out even more from the crowd than the rifles they were starting to distribute to each other, they represented about a third of the girls present but at least three quarters of the swearing and gung-ho attitude from what Willow could tell. Faith had been in one of the jeeps with Wesley, the other local Wesley being still back at the Hyperion and they were in animated conversation with Kennedy and some of the girls from Faiths crew in LA. Rebecca was with them too, strapping on that oversized handgun she carried and showing her sword to a couple of interested girls.

'We're ready to go Ma'am' one of the gunslayers reported to Buffy, one good thing about the gunslayers to Buffy's mind was that they had name tags on their uniforms although the slogan "Chosen to Kill" written on her helmet made Lucy easy to recognise and remember anyway. Vi and the majority of her girls were still back home with Lucy the ranking gunslayer on this "deployment" as she called it.

'Eager to get down there?' Buffy asked.

Lucy smiled. 'Eager to light up some uber-vamps with the uber-rifles' she replied, indicating her new weapon. 'Bucky going full-auto in .338 Lapua Magnum should get the job done' she said confidently.

'Very big bullets, going very fast and they're on fire' one Dawn explained to the other. 'Vampires don't like them' she said.

'Understatement of the century we hope' Lucy replied with a grin. 'We're afterlife takers and heart-stakers' she said. 'We shoot 'em full of holes and fill 'em up with phosphorus' she declared, her grin widening.

Buffy sighed. 'If you people start enjoy your work much more I'm going to start docking your pay' she told her semi-seriously.

'Right, so I'll be sullen and miserable over there until you give the word Slayer-Chef' Lucy replied quickly, beating a hasty retreat.

'I still like her better than Jailbait, I think Lucy is only joking while Charlotte means it when she says it' Buffy told Willow, shaking her head sadly. 'I blame you and that damn mercenary' she told Wesley sternly as he wandered up to meet them, leaving Faith with the LA based girls. 'They were so sweet until you took them to Pylea and bought me back the Dirty Dozen' she moaned.

'They shoot really well and drink Scotch with abandon' Wesley replied. 'What did you _think_ would happen with me as a role model?' he asked rhetorically.

'Hey if Stirling hadn't replaced him on Pylea they'd all be scruffy by now too' Dawn interjected.

'And maybe in weird romantic entanglements too' Willow added.

'They should be so fortunate' Wesley replied. 'You might want to go have a word with Tara' he advised Willow. 'I spotted her still hiding at the back of one of the buses with Bethany and Gwen trying to talk her into getting off' he said.

Willow frowned. 'I told her she should stay at the Hyperion if she wasn't certain she should be here' she said.

'Sense of duty perhaps?' Wesley replied, Tara didn't seem the revenge type to him so he doubted that was her motivation. 'In any case I think you're the best candidate to talk to her' he suggested.

'But it's so awkward' Willow responded, 'so strange to talk to her' she said.

'More so for her what with both you _and_ Kennedy back in her life' Buffy pointed out. 'Come on Will give the girl a witch-to-witch pep talk' she said. 'Tell her we need her.'

'Okay, I'll go talk with her' Willow agreed.

As Willow turned away Buffy went back to looking at Sunnydale. 'It's so peaceful' she said in mild surprise 'The Hellmouth Seal is open permanently, there could be like a gazillion Turok-Han down there but it just looks so normal' she said.

'During my brief spell living here I always found Sunnydale very pleasant by day' Wesley replied. 'It wasn't quite as salubrious after sunset however and I imagine it's even worse now' he added.

'_Much_ worse' the Dawn from this dimension observed quietly. 'My sister is buried down there alongside my Mom' she said barely above a whisper, pointing at one of the many graveyards. 'Willow is over there' she continued, pointing to another. 'You don't know how lucky you are' she told her double seriously, now on the verge of tears.

Buffy pulled her sisters doppelganger from this world into a hug. 'It's okay Dawn, we won't let anything else happen to the people you care about I promise' she told her. 'We'll close the Hellmouth and make it a better world from now on' she vowed.

'It's not fair, why couldn't this reality be as good as yours' the Dawn being hugged asked plaintively.

'Random chance, the quantum throw of the dice' Wesley commented. 'And a couple of time-travelling gods threw our timeline into new and exciting directions too' he said. 'They certainly altered the course of my life a fair bit' he added.

Dawn broke free of the hug. 'I'm sorry' she said, taking the handkerchief Wesley offered and using it to wipe her eyes before blowing her nose on it much to his chagrin. 'Being here again made a few memories come flooding back' she said.

'No need to apologise' Buffy told her. 'Except to Wesley for what you just did to his hanky' she said.

'Keep it' Wesley told her. 'Shall we get down to business?' he asked Buffy. 'I think the girls are getting restless' he told her.

Buffy turned to her slayers. 'Alright you all know where you're going and what might be in there' she began loudly. 'You know what to do so go do it' she said.

'Is that it?' one of the girls at the back asked in surprise.

'Shut up before she thinks we want to hear more' another replied irately.

'You'll have to tell Lucy to lead her girls off' Wesley told Buffy quietly. 'She expects an order' he said.

'Lucy' Buffy said loudly. 'Lead off' she told her.

'Gunslayers, as a skirmish line, ten yards apart, ADVANCE' Lucy ordered her girls, they would lead the rest of the slayers into Sunnydale.

After a hundred yards Lucy had a thought and started to sing, others soon joining in the tune as they headed into town.

"_Oh sisters be ye not dismayed _

_But trust in your enchanted blade _

_Come drink and sing and lend your aid _

_To help me with the chorus_

_Demonic Legions we'll assail _

_In dark dimensions we'll prevail _

_We'd storm the very gates of hell,_

_for Shadow Valley and glory!_"

Gwen, Bethany and Tara had stayed back to watch them go and looked at each other as the second verse began, something about setting Tukok-Han on fire. 'Well they seem confident' Bethany said.

'Think we should follow?' Tara asked nervously, Willow had gotten her out of he bus but she was still less than happy to be back in Sunnydale.

'Well I'm not walking' Gwen declared. 'I'm taking that jeep they left over here' she said.

'I think they said they were going to use them later on' Tara said.

'Then I'll give it back then' Gwen replied.

'Did they leave the keys in it?' Bethany asked.

'If they didn't I can always hotwire it easily enough' Gwen stated with a knowing smile, pulling off one of her gloves and letting sparks arc across her fingers.

'I don't think we should take it without permission' Tara protested.

'You are such a wuss Tara' Gwen told her. 'We need to find you a depraved girlfriend to corrupt you a little bit' she said.

'My girlfriends keep dying' Tara responded, 'who would want the job?' she asked rhetorically.

'Some vampire chick that's already dead?' Bethany suggested. 'You can put their soul back in right?' she asked.

'Or leave them soulless to _guarantee_ the depravity' Gwen responded. 'Just make sure they know that if they try to snack on me or Bethany they'll hate the result when I shock them or Beth throws them through a wall with her mind and we'll get along great' she said.

Tara laughed, he knew they were trying to take her mind off the situation because they cared about her and she loved them for it. 'If you want depraved how about I try for a threesome with Kennedy and Willow?' she said, her delivery of the line spoiled by how much she blushed saying it.

'Not a completely hopeless case after all' Gwen told her with a chuckle. 'So do we jack the jeep?' she asked Tara.

'Shotgun' Tara said, running towards it before Bethany could get the passenger seat.


	15. Chapter 15

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**Sunnydale – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'Never thought I'd end up back here again' Colleen remarked, leaning her slayer scythe back against her right shoulder as she walked down the street. She had been one of the original "Sunnydale Potentials" over two years earlier and as such had been one of the first couple of dozen slayers to get one, the enchanted weapon a badge that indicated her seniority.

'My first visit' Simone responded, keeping her rifle ready for action as the two of them followed the Dawn from their home dimension and her local double along Revello Drive towards the old Summers Residence. 'Why did we get baby-sitting duty?' she wanted to know.

'Because I'm experienced and stable and you're heavily armed and deranged' Colleen replied.

Simone swore under her breath, if she was a good little girl, didn't talk back and obeyed orders more readily she knew she would have made Gunslayer First-Class by now, even though she had only made it to the last few weeks of the Pylean Campaign before the armistice was declared, but as it was she was never going to get promoted. 'I'm not deranged' she declared, heavily armed was a given. As well as her rifle and ammunition harness she was wearing a pistol holster on a belt which also had at least eight grenades hooked on it and the standard issue short sword and scabbard hanging by her other side.

'Hey if we lost the bosses sister do you think we could pretend the other one was her?'Colleen suggested in jest, deliberately loud enough for both Dawns to overhear.

'I'll bet the other one would play along, our world sucks a lot less than this one' Simone opined. 'We're probably both fucking dead for a start' she noted. The First Evil here had been very thorough in wiping out all the Potential Slayers.

'I've not met you before but the Colleen I knew died here with Faith' the Dawn from this reality told her, stopping and turning to face them. 'Sorry' she apologised to Colleen, 'I never got to know you very well.'

Colleen shrugged, that was hardly a revelation. 'Remind me to dust a few extra Turok-Han in memory of the other me' she told Simone.

'Tell you what, I'll put them on the ground screaming with a gut full of Bucky and you scythe them' Simone offered, 'I like the hurting them more than the dusting anyway.'

Colleen laughed. 'And you claim _not_ to be deranged' she responded.

'You should all just be grateful I found a outlet' Simone told them. If it wasn't for the organisation finding a socially responsible use for her prediction for gunplay and general mayhem who knew what the girl might have ended up doing?

'You're going to check the house for booby-traps right?' Colleen asked the gunslayer. 'Bringers have used bombs before.'

'Just let me check the doors and any cupboards before you open them' Simone advised, 'I'm demolition and bomb-disposal trained, explosives were my secondary specialty.'

'And your primary?' one of the Dawn's asked.

Simone pulled back the cocking-handle of her rifle. 'Guns are so much better than the medieval junk' she declared happily, you needed decent hardware to do decent damage.

Across town Buffy found herself standing on a deserted street looking at the smashed windows and burned-out remnants of what had once been the towns shopping district. Smart boutiques and cafes equally ravaged by obvious looting before even the criminal element decided it wasn't safe to stay here. 'Sorry if you had your hopes up about getting that latte Will' she told her friend.

'I needed to cut down on the caffeine anyway' Willow replied.

'FIRE IN THE HOLE' a girl hollered further up the street and dropped an incendiary grenade down the sewer manhole the girl next to her had just lifted up. As they both dived clear an explosion underground shook the street and a hundred yards away another manhole cover was blasted into the air by a shockwave that sent it hurtling off into the distance.

Buffy and Willow watched the manhole cover arc through the air and eventually smash through one of he few remaining intact windows in the area. 'Whose idea was it to pour all that gasoline into the sewer again?' Buffy asked as smoke started billowing up from underground.

'I'm not sure but it's quicker and safer than going down there to look for Turok-Han I guess' Willow replied. 'Smellier too' she added as the stench hit her and she held her nose. Slayers had siphoned the tanks of every abandoned vehicle they could find and let it drain into the extensive network of tunnels under the centre of town giving the fumes plenty of time to build up before setting it all off.

'Let's move upwind' Buffy suggested and led off trying to breath through her mouth.

'Good plan' Willow agreed.

As they made their way along they came across Tara, Bethany and a number of slayers standing around the jeep Gwen had hotwired, although she herself was nowhere to be seen. Someone had spread a map over the hood of the jeep and Tara was holding what looked to be a crystal hanging from a silver chain above it, slowing moving her hand across the map until the crystal started spinning. 'There' Tara said, pointing to the point on the map indicated by the crystal.

'You're sure?' a slayer asked doubtfully.

'Magic isn't an exact science but I'm detecting serious demonic influence there' Tara replied.

'Last time it didn't work so well' another slayer commented.

Tara blushed. 'This time I've adjusted the spell I cast so that it ignored her' she told them.

'Good because we looked ridiculous busting down the door on that garage and coming in screaming ready to take on a load of Uber-Vamps and finding Rebecca looking for more gas-cans' she said. 'We felt so damn stupid and if her heart actually beat she'd have probably had a cardiac arrest.'

'She's the most powerful point of demonic energy in town after the Hellmouth' Tara defended herself, 'I'm just not used to allowing for something like her being on _our_ side.'

'Just don't use any self-guided demon-seeking fireballs' Willow advised, 'I did once and instead of going where I wanted it to the thing did a U-Turn and smacked straight into Illyria instead' she said. 'I was apologising for hours.'

'She smelled like barbeque for almost as long' Buffy added, fortunately the God-King of the Primordium was tough enough to make the incident funny rather than tragic although naturally nobody had the guts to laugh until Illyria was well out of earshot.

Tara and Willow momentarily looked into each other's eyes and both immediately looked away again, it was still so strange for both of them. 'Where the hell is Gwen?' Bethany asked, looking around. 'She said she was just going to find a rest-room and that was ten minutes ago.'

'You let her go off alone?' Buffy asked the most senior slayer present angrily. 'This place is dangerous' she pointed out.

'No two girls that needed the same thing went with her we're not stupid Ma'am' the slayer replied in annoyance at the implication she was.

'Gwen can handle herself pretty good anyway' Bethany chipped in.

'Yeah and the built-in Taser is always useful' Gwen herself interjected, everyone turning to see her approach with the two slayers with her dragging a limp figure wearing a robe. 'Harbinger Bringer sneaked up on me but probably shouldn't have tried putting his hand over me mouth before putting the knife in' she said then laughed. 'I'm a good kisser but I've never literally stunned a guy with my lips before' she joked.

'So what do we do with it?' Bethany asked.

'We make it talk' Buffy replied.

'No tongue' Bethany noted.

'Oh you just need the right spell and someone for the Bringer to talk through' Willow told her. 'They're telepathic with each other you just need to tap into that' she explained. 'They still need motivating before they'll give up any information though' she added with a grimace as she contemplated that part of the process.

'How do you motivate a Bringer?' Tara queried.

'Pliers and a blow-torch works wonders on most things' Buffy explained then frowned. 'Where is Wesley anyway?' she asked, looking around for a moment before hearing the sounds of distant gunfire. 'Okay, that could be him' she reasoned.

Sunnydale's warehouse district had often been witness to nefarious goings-on, indeed this very building had once harboured former friend of Giles and Chaos Mage Ethan Rayne and many, many bars of maturity-sapping candy bars but on this occasion it's occupants were unusually demonic and evil even by those standards.

The harbinger which jumped out from behind a stack of crates wielding an axe probably would have tried a different approach if it had been more used to facing firearms because it didn't even have time to raise it to strike before Wesley aimed and fired his twelve-gauge, pumping the slide to load the next shotgun-shell before the bringer hit the ground, its chest riddled with buckshot.

'Nice shooting Tex' Faith told Wesley.

'Hard to miss with one of these at that range' Wesley told her, it was hardly one of his more impressive feats of marksmanship.

'Yeah well you still looked good doing it' Faith told him as they resumed scouting the warehouse.

Another harbinger leaped to the attack but found itself neatly decapitated as Faith smoothly side-stepped and swung her scythe around at the same time, the blade slicing through the folds of its cloak as easily as the flesh and bone beneath it. 'Oh come on, you assholes have got to be able to do better than this' Faith taunted.

A second chorus of automatic gunfire punctuated by howls of pain and anger echoed from the building next door followed by a teenage girl's cry of "Get some" that preceded even more firing.

'Sound like the ladies are having some fun with Turok-Han over there' Wesley reasoned.

'I told you my slayer instincts said we should have taken that one and given the others this dump' Faith replied glumly, the kids were having all the fun with the uber-vamps while they beat up on the wimps in the robes.

'Alright I'll listen in future' Wesley conceded, 'I just thought it was another of those mythical things like female intuition' he said. 'You know the Council Chronicles actually mentioned a few slayers that could supposedly detect the presence of vampires with a kind of sixth sense.'

'Yeah, did it give details?' Faith queried.

'Supposed to have felt a lot like menstrual cramps' Wesley told her.

'Oh that's a gift I'm glad I missed out on' Faith responded.

'Makes you wonder if an alternate Faith in another universe does have that ability' Wesley remarked.

'I'd prefer to wish it on an alternate Buffy' Faith told him. 'Stop playing hide-and-go-seek' she called out, 'Olly,olly oxen free' she continued, 'come out, come out wherever you are.'

'Do you think we should go join Connor at the school perhaps?' Wesley suggested, looking around a corner, shotgun up and ready but finding nothing to shoot at.

'Got to be more fun to be had down by the Hellmouth Seal' Faith agreed wholeheartedly.

'We should probably set alight to the building before we leave, kill anything that comes running out' Wesley told her.

Faith rounded on him looking irate. 'Why the hell didn't you suggest that earlier?' she wanted to know. 'We've been poking our noses into ever nook and cranny in this dump for the past fifteen minutes' she complained.

'Well I thought it wouldn't take as long and we could maybe get in a quick shag in a back room before the girls missed us' Wesley admitted.

'We're supposed to be working' Faith reminded him.

'So that's a no then?' Wesley checked.

'That's a no Wes' Faith told him flatly. 'And if you say that if we skipped the foreplay it wouldn't take very long I _swear_ I'll kick your ass.'

Wesley blinked. 'How did you know I was going to say...'

'Female intuition' Faith interrupted him.

'Damn and it took me long enough to get used to the idea that Illyria knows when I'm lying' Wesley complained.

'Just for the record lover, men are not difficult to predict' Faith confided. 'Like demons' she continued diving out of the way as a Turok-Han tried to pounce on her from above, it must have been lying in wait on the metal rafters.

Wesley considered slowing it down a little with some buckshot but as he watched Faith fight the thing he couldn't help but smile. The First Evil and his army in this dimension really didn't stand a chance now the slayers of his own world were here he considered as he idly pondered all the other realities and how they might be fairing this fine day.

**Scottish Highlands – Alternate Earth AE2034-0794-C (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

Although The First Evil could appear as anyone that had ever died a few forms always appealed more than others for sentimental reasons and as he walked along the stone passage with a Scourge Officer following on behind he appeared as Caleb. The late-lamented "Strong Right Hand" had been the only human of his generation that could contain more than a tiny fraction of the First Evil's essence and had been such great company too, their re-enactments for Caleb's murders of young girls had always been a great way to chill out after a hard days plotting and scheming.

'I'm still not sure why you wanted us to capture this one Sir' the Scourge Officer told him, they had lost dozens of good soldiers during the mission, 'but the procedure was successful and she is waiting for us in your private quarters' he said.

The First Evil smiled. 'I can always depend on you boys now can't I?' he replied as they passed a couple of Harbingers cleaning blood off the wall. 'See if you can do something about those bullet holes in the wall too' he told his robed servants. 'Those darn slayers put up quite a last stand didn't they?' he asked the Officer. They had decided to take the slayer HQ as a victory trophy much as the slayers from their world had taken Shadow Valley.

'Our losses were minimal Sir' the Officer replied, 'their wooden stakes and swords weren't really so much of a match for our guns' he said smugly as they arrived at what had been the room belonging to one Buffy Summers but now belonged to the incorporeal physical manifestation of The First.

Two low-ranking demon guards at the door bought their rifles up in salute. 'At ease boys' The First told them. 'Is that a medal?' he asked one.

'Yes Sir the Scourger replied proudly. 'Ten confirmed slayer kills when we stormed this castle' he said. 'I was one of the first ones through the main gates when we blew them open.'

'Make a note of this boys name and fast-track him for promotion' The First Evil told the Officer.

'Thank you Sir' the guard responded happily, it was a system of meritocracy like that which helped ensure the loyalty and tactical aggressiveness of the new elite storm-troopers of the First Evil. The slayers of this dimension hadn't stood a chance when confronted with well-led, well-equipped and professional demon soldiers and their whole operation had folded like a deck of cards.

'I could walk through the door but if one of you wanted to open it for me that would be good too' the First said.

'Sir before we do can I ask something?' the Officer requested.

'Shoot son' the First Evil replied, 'and I don't mean that literally you understand, there's enough holes in this place already' he joked.

The officer laughed politely. 'Well Sir it's like this, we were all wondering what happened to the First Evil who was already here when we all came here by portal' he asked.

'I'm still here' the First Evil replied then chuckled when he saw the look of confusion on the pure-bred demons face. 'Okay I'll try and explain' he said. 'Every time one dimension or timeline splits off from the original a little part of me goes with it, think of it as kinda like an amoeba, one First Evil becomes two identical copies which diverge from that point' he said. 'I've been around for a really long time so there must be a whole heap of me around by now' he continued, 'now if one of me was to go to where another of me already was we just merge right back together and have both sets of memories' he explained. 'So I'm your First Evil _and_ the First Evil from these parts' he explained.

The Scourge Officer thought about that. 'Isn't that confusing Sir?' he asked. 'Two different sets of memories from a certain point in time?'

'It just means I need to concentrate a little more to remember what I was doing last year, not a biggie' The First Evil told him. 'Is that it?' he asked. 'Curiosity satisfied?'

'Yes Sir, thank you for explaining' the Officer confirmed.

'Good because I wouldn't want my boys to think I practice mushroom management' the First Evil replied. 'You know, keep them in the dark and feed them shit' he said with a grin.

One of the guards opened the door and the First Evil entered with the Scourge Officer still in tow, the demon wishing he had a wooden stake as well as a pistol at his belt.

'Well now Miss Willow Rosenberg' the First Evil greeted the woman sitting on his bed, not that he ever used it himself. 'That's a new look for you' he said.

'Not really' Willow replied, 'well look at those' she said, looking down at the cleavage the tight red and black leather outfit had pushed up. 'I just thought I'd snap up an appropriate outfit for the new me' she said, snapping her fingers so that it became even lower-cut.

'Still got those powers then?' the First Evil asked rhetorically. 'They usually stay with you but not always.'

'Hair won't go white any more' Willow replied, 'that's no loss' she said. 'It wouldn't suit me anymore anyway' she said, vamping out and running her tongue down her fangs. 'Mmmm pointy' she said before changing back.

'I hope that vampire I hired to sire you wasn't too rough' Caleb told her.

'The stuff your Scourge guys shot me up with meant I didn't feel a thing' Willow re-assured him, 'Orpheus was it?' she asked.

'We had to hit her with enough darts full of the stuff mixed with tranquillisers to bring down an Old One' the Scourge Officer muttered. The witch had put up more of a fight than all the slayers combined, if it hadn't been a surprise sneak-attack she might have thwarted the whole attack single-handedly.

'Now I bet you're wondering why I went to such lengths to take you alive and then make you... well not so alive; the First Evil asked Vampire-Willow.

'I guess you need a witch but if you want me to end the world I'm not up for that' Willow replied, 'I just want to have some fun, rip out some throats, ride people in chains like ponies... that sort of thing' she said with a smile.

'No I don't want you to end the world I've got bigger plans than that' the First Evil told her. 'Now you see the problem I have is that there's a whole multiverse full of millions of pesky slayers and their friends and all I've got is a few thousand Scourge, some Bringers and the dumbest vampires you've ever seen' he said.

'Turok-Han' Willow responded. 'They're tough but not much upstairs' she said, tapping the side of her head.

'Yeah, it's a problem' the First Evil said. 'Now regular vampires like yourself, not that I'm saying _you're_ regular but you know what I mean, are smart and have all that human learning and skills but you're nowhere near as strong as Turok-Han and too damn independent to boot' he said sadly.

'We just wanna have fun' Willow agreed.

'You know, time was vampires were different' the First Evil told her, 'back in the Primordium Age, before humans came along and corrupted everything, vampires were much tougher' he said. 'Did you ever see a Van-Tal?' he asked, 'no well they looked like that' he continued after she shook her head. 'Now modern day vampires have that potential within them, you can see it starting to show itself after they've been around a few centuries, and they have the smarts too, but they need something special to bring it out' he said.

'Potential?' Willow queried.

'Yeah, you see what's buried deep inside them needs to be called to the surface' the First Evil told her. 'You might say they need to be chosen to fulfil their destiny' he said.

Willow laughed. 'Sounds familiar' she said, 'pity you don't have a scythe or something or maybe I could do that for you' she told him.

The First Evil grinned. 'Now who says I don't have a scythe?' he replied in amusement. 'I just needed the right girl to come along and make it work for me' he explained. 'Think of it, every vampire as strong and fast as a master vampire wouldn't _that_ be a sight to see?' he asked with a wink. 'Now I guess you're hungry and we don't need to get to work right away so why don't you have a snack first?' he offered. 'Bring in lunch for our guest' he called out loudly.

The door opened again and a pair of scourge soldiers threw in a familiar figure face down onto the floor, badly beaten and barely conscious, certainly not able to struggle or even speak.

'Oh you shouldn't have' Willow said gleefully, 'this is such a nice present' she enthused. 'Can I turn him?' she requested.

'Go right ahead' the First Evil asked as Willow got off the bed and walked across to the prone form rolling it over with her foot. 'Hey Xander' she said, looking down at him. 'We'll be friends forever' she told him, getting down on her knees next to him 'just like we supposed to be' she added, vamping out again and sinking her teeth into his neck.

The First Evil smiled. 'After he comes back to us the two of you might be interested in who I've got chained to a wall downstairs' he told Willow.

Blood dripping from her fangs Willow looked up at him. 'It's not Buffy is it?' she asked hopefully.

'Yes, but you're not allowed to turn her too' The First Evil replied, he wanted the slayer to live and suffer a long, long time.

'Don't want to' Willow responded, 'want to torture her' she said. 'I'll bet Xander would like to do other things' she added lasciviously.

'If she enjoys any of them I'll be very disappointed' The First Evil declared sternly.

'She won't' Willow promised.

'Then have a ball but remember that you work for me now and fun-time is off the clock' the First Evil told her. 'I don't like loafers' he said seriously.

'Do we get paid vacation time though?' Willow asked.

The First Evil smiled. 'Now they say there's no rest for the wicked sweetheart but I've always looked after my people, ask the boys, so don't fret yourself on that score' he told her.

'What about the dental plan?' Willow queried, licking the blood off her fangs and savouring the taste, Xander was always so sweet she thought.

* * *

_**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:**_

_Sorry for the wait for this chapter, hope it was worth it._

_A little piece of news I'm very pleased about, the Compelled Stories recently won the Award for best BtVS/AtS Fanfic Series in Round 10 of the Fang-Fetish Awards :-)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Everything either belongs to Joss or it should, no infringement is intended and no profit is to be made. When you get right down to it I'm not really worth suing anyway unless you want a share of an underpaid civil servants wages and it just wouldn't be worth the hassle trust me._

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**Sunnydale – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'You know I think it's the familiarity of this place of this place that creeps me out the most' the slayer with the crossbow declared before kicking in the classroom door and idly tossing in a helios grenade which exploded in a blinding flash. It instantly incinerated the three Turok-Han which had been waiting inside. 'I take math class in there back home' she noted as she looked around.

'Ten minutes ago I shot up the room where Knox flunked me in science last week' another girl told her, this one armed with a rifle. 'It was really satisfying' she added as they gradually moved through the halls of Sunnydale High clearing out any Bringers or Uber-Vamps they came across. They were working in pairs, one regular slayer with a scythe or a crossbow accompanied by a gunslayer and her HK417 Battle Rifle.

'I wish we were down in the basement' the girl with the crossbow said sadly. 'Probably more action down there as they get closer to the seal' she reasoned.

'Yeah well maybe in the next parallel universe' the gunslayer replied.

'In most of them their Sunnydale is in a big hole just like ours' the first slayer noted sadly. 'This could be the only chance we ever get to kick ass on a real Sunnydale Hellmouth, I wanted to do it right.'

'Could be worse, could be taking classes at Shadow Valley instead of slaying evil things here' the Gunslayer reminded her. 'My turn' she said as they arrived at the next closed door and getting her rifle ready.

Before they could kick open the door, further down the corridor the actual wall was smashed out as a Turok-Han crashed through and bared his fangs at them amidst a cloud of dust.

'Guess they haven't completely figured out door handles yet then' the slayer with the crossbow observed placidly.

'Guess not' the gunslayer agreed and as the Turok-Han snarled and leaped to the attack she raised her rifle and fired a short burst into the creature, the sound thundering down the corridor and the bullets leaving black wispy trails through the air as they went. The burning phosphorus of the incendiary bullets left an acrid stench in the air before the large supersonic rounds slammed into the vampire's torso and momentarily sent it staggering backwards through sheer impact.

The Turok-Han would have quickly recovered but for the fact that the metal now imbedded within its chest were burning, the smell of charred flesh soon mixing with that of the phosphor. It howled in pain and clawed its own wounds trying to remove the source of its agony but they had driven themselves in too deep, shattering its ribs as they went.

'It's not very sporting doing it that way you know' the slayer with the crossbow commented. 'And it's moving around too much for me to get a decent shot at the heart now' she complained.

'Who said we were supposed to be sporting?' the gunslayer asked rhetorically and lowering her aim shot one of the vampires knees out, sending it to the floor with an even louder howl of pain. 'Are you going to stake ugly here or am I?' she asked.

'Go right ahead' the other girl replied after which the gunslayer simply strolled over and slammed the wooden bayonet fixed to her rifle into its chest.

'I'm surprised you didn't let it suffer a little longer' the slayer with the crossbow told her as the Turok-Han exploded into ash.

'No need to be sadistic and anyway the bucky burns itself out after a little while and it stops hurting as much' the gunslayer told her, brushing the dusty remains of the vampire off her clothes. 'The wounds don't heal very fast though so they don't recover right away.'

'I still think you can't beat a nice crossbow, it's just more civilised' the other slayer opined. 'And the smell in here is starting to make me gag' she added.

'I'm with you there at least' the gunslayer agreed. 'We should smash out some windows' she suggested.

'You know I bet Principal Wood's nightmares are like this' the slayer with the crossbow suggested.

'Vampires running in the halls and the students smashing up his school?' the gunslayer responded. 'You could be right' she agreed, thinking about it.

Down in the basement Connor quickly ducked to let an axe held by a Harbinger swing over his head and rammed his sword into its gut, his gleaming blade slicing through its monk-like apparel and emerging red with blood as he pulled it back out, the Bringer slumping away as he did so. 'At least they die quietly with some dignity' he said, stabbing it again just to make sure.

'They're probably screaming on the inside' Buffy told him as they led the others towards the Seal of Danthalzar. Once Connor had secured the perimeter of the building and most of the larger nests of vampires had been wiped out in the rest of town Buffy and additional slayers had joined him and they were now fighting their way towards their main goal.

'Turok-Han' a girl called out. 'Stand clear' she ordered loudly and Connor and Buffy dived out of the way as she directed a jet of burning fuel down the basement corridor, the flamethrower carried on her back making short work of the vampires that had appeared ahead of them.

'Turn some fire extinguishers on those wooden shelves' Buffy ordered and as they started to move up again slayers put out the fires the flamethrower had caused. 'Getting smoky in here Will' she called out.

'No problem' Willow called back and raising a hand she conjured a wind that howled through the basement carrying the smoke with it and chilling everyone to the bone in the process.

'Can someone turn down the aircon?' Faith complained, shivering.

'If you wore clothes that showed less skin you wouldn't be so cold' Buffy pointed out.

'B, I get enough of that already from my sort-of daughter, don't _you_ start too' Faith replied curtly. 'And remember I _know_ the length of those skirts you used to wear before you decided you needed to look more like an authority figure.'

'We're not teenagers any more Faith' Buffy responded.

'Dawn says you stopped wearing the mini-skirts once you realised she looked better in them' Connor spoke up, carefully avoiding eye contact with Buffy and trying not to laugh.

'Going out with my sister means I won't kill you Connor, but remember I know how fast you heal up' Buffy replied, the tone of her voice colder than the chill wind.

'Spike's right, Summers women really are unbelievably scary when they want to be' Connor couldn't help but reply as he moved on.

'And don't you forget it' Buffy told him. The Seal was just up ahead now and soon they would be taking the fight to the First on its home turf again. 'Talking of Spike someone remind Dawn she has to go back and fetch him now we've removed all the distractions' she called out. 'You just can't trust him not to go chasing after the first bunch of Turok-Han he sees when he's supposed to be where you tell him' she noted sadly. 'He lacks focus and... oh shiny!' she exclaimed spotting an ornate Bringer knife and bending down to pick it up. 'What was I talking about again?' she asked Connor.

'Spike lacking focus' Connor replied.

'Yes, focus, you've got to have focus' Buffy declared as she turned the bejewelled curved dagger over in her hand. Those rubies were definitely going in a set of earrings she decided.

**Shadow Valley – California – November 2005**

Gunn didn't get here very often, the remaining action in LA was more than enough to keep him occupied these days even if the vast majority of the vampires and other assorted nasties had been long wiped out. He had been asked to give a guest lecture to some newly arrived girls on the pros and cons of using a battleaxe rather than a sword and given that a slayer scythe was a very similar weapon to his own preferred weapon a few of the more experienced girls had sat in as he gave his talk interspersed by a few demonstrations.

'Okay, so I know you're all stronger and faster than me but remember that there are things out there stronger and faster than you so the techniques I use against regular vamps are ones you might be able to use against uber-vamps' Gunn told them as he picked up his battleaxe off the table at the front of the lecture hall again.

'But a sword is faster' one of the girls at the front commented.

Gunn nodded. 'Yeah you can swing a sword around quicker and parry away more easily but a sword is also a lot easier for the _other guy_ to parry away too' he said. 'This thing weighs a lot more than a sword' he said, holding up his axe. 'If you can get it moving the sword of any poor schmuck that gets put in front of it is going to get knocked aside even if he might be stronger than you.'

'Inertia' another girl, this one towards explained. 'Hey Knox was right there really is a real-world application for those physics lectures he gives us' she said. 'Who would have thought?' she asked rhetorically to a round of laughter.

Gunn grinned. 'You get it moving, it don't want to stop' he agreed, swinging his axe around in the air above his head. 'The heavier and faster it is the better' he continued. 'Even if the sucker is wearing armour you'll still dent the crap outta it and knock him flying too maybe if you do it right.'

'So why not use something like a sledgehammer?' a slayer queried. 'That'll hit even harder right?'

'It's a little bit too blunt to decapitate something with though don't you think?' Gunn replied causing the girls to laugh again. 'You can cave a vamps skull in and it _still_ won't die, shatter every bone in a zombies body and the thing will still be saying "brains, brains" and trying to gnaw on ya ass' he continued. 'An axe will knock the fight out of them but you can also use it to finish the thing off at the end' he said. 'It slices, it dices, I give you the axe-o-matic' he declared, holding it up.

'So why doesn't everyone use an axe?' a girl wanted to know.

Gunn put it back down. 'Different strokes for different folks' he said. 'Firstly any decent-sized battle-axe is heavy, damn heavy' he said. 'My bro Wes uses one sometimes but the dude just isn't a towering hunk of manhood like myself so he can't handle one as well' he said. 'It's not just strength though, because I know you've all got that, you also need some height too to really get the benefit' he told them. 'Sorry but it's a fact' he continued apologetically, looking at a particularly short slayer who had pouted.

A younger slayer who might have been fourteen raised her hand, causing Gunn to smile and indicate she could ask a question. 'You also need room to work too right?' she asked.

'Yep' Gunn confirmed. 'Start using this thing around in a narrow corridor and not only don't you ever get it moving properly it'll get stuck in the damn walls if you're not careful' he told them. 'It's even worse than a broadsword for that because I'll admit it straight-up, an axe does _not_ handle as well as a sword so there's less opportunity to correct your action once it gets going' he said. 'Like Duke Ellington sang, it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing' he joked. 'So are there any more questions before we break for the day?' he asked, looking around. 'No? Then class dismissed' he told them, to his surprise getting a brief round of applause. 'I'll be in the gym tomorrow morning doing some proper demonstrations' he said loudly as they all got up off their seats starting to talk among themselves. 'Be there early because I'm flying back to LA before lunchtime' he said.

'So did you ever want to be a teacher?' Andrew asked, walking over. He had entered quietly a couple of minutes before to see how Gunn was doing.

'Not enough education and nowhere near enough patience' Gunn replied. 'I hear it doesn't even pay that well either' he added.

'So Principal Wood says' Andrew told him. 'Of course he gets a better salary these days.'

'Don't we all' Gunn responded. 'If I leave my axe here nobody is going to walk off with it are they?' he checked. 'I was going to grab a coffee and I don't want to have to take it with me.'

'If it was a scythe one of the girls might borrow it, holding one is like slayer catnip' Andrew replied, 'but I think your axe is fine where it is you can collect it later.'

'Cool' Gunn said.

'I might get a peach-flavoured iced tea at the canteen if you don't mind the company' Andrew told Gunn.

'No but if you're ever in LA and my old crew are there it'll be better for my rep if peach-flavoured iced tea isn't mentioned' Gunn told him seriously.

'You don't now what you're missing' Andrew replied.

Gunn chuckled. 'It ain't my masculinity' he stated as they followed the girls out of the lecture hall.

As they walked along the corridor Andrew remembered something he thought Gunn might be interested in. 'So did you hear they're making a Transformers Movie?' he asked.

'Yeah' Gunn replied happily.

'It had better be good' Andrew declared.

'With Spielberg producing and Michael Bay directing it should be' Gunn opined.

'Just as long as it's better than what they've been doing to Marvel this year I'll be happy' Andrew said. 'Elektra was even worse than Daredevil and the less said about The Fantastic Four the better' he added with a grimace.

'I never liked those comics anyway' Gunn told him.

Andrew shrugged. 'So I'm guessing you liked the Blade films?' he asked.

Gunn stopped walking and fixed him with a baleful glare. 'Just because a brother's black and fights vampires doesn't mean he's going to be a Blade fan' he said. 'That's like racial and professional stereotyping' he declared in annoyance.

'So you didn't like them?' Andrew asked.

'The first two were pretty good but the third one sucked' Gunn replied, starting towards the canteen again. 'I still think a battleaxe is better than a katana though' he opined.

Andrew remembered something and laughed. 'Talking of racial and professional stereotyping I asked Ashton who his favourite comic-book character was' he said. 'Care to guess?' he asked.

Gunn thought about it. 'Wolverine?' he asked.

'Deadpool' Andrew told him.

'So his favourite Marvel superhero is a Canadian mercenary with a big mouth?' Gunn replied incredulously.

'He said something about the character of Wade Wilson appealed to him' Andrew replied with a grin.

Gunn laughed. 'So if Xander had that eye-patch like he was supposed to in the alternate universe Illyria came from do you think he'd dress like Nick Fury?' he wondered.

**Sunnydale – Alternate Earth AE2005-0098-A (Pathfinder Index Code) – November 2005**

'Different than last time' Buffy observed as she looked down into the hellmouth cavern.

'Well yeah B' Faith replied, 'The last time we were in one of these we'd already scorched it with Wesley's home-made napalm recipe and those fire-bombs Blue dropped in to say hello with' she recalled. 'Smells a little better this time around too' she added.

'Not for much longer unfortunately' Buffy said regretfully. 'Can someone shoot up those vampires and then stake them please' she requested as a small number of Turok-Han approached.

'Don't want to scythe them?' Faith asked as a gunslayer who had followed them down took aim.

'It's been a long day' Buffy replied with a yawn as the Turok-Han were shot full of incendiary bullets and soon afterwards fell to the ground howling in pain.

The vast majority of the Turok-Han who had once been inside the cavern had left long ago, only a few now remained and if anything the fighting had been much harder getting in here than it was once they were inside the cavern. There were maybe a few hundred of the vampires in here at most Faith decided, no real challenge at all she decided regretfully as she looked at her scythe wistfully.

'Excuse me Ma'am' a girl spoke up. 'What the hell is that?' she asked, pointing to one side with her crossbow.

Buffy turned around to see a large creature approaching them slowly. It resembled an octopus in some ways with huge tentacles that were dragging it along the cavern floor as it came. 'Oh yuck' she said.

'That is one ugly demon' Faith agreed. 'You know it looks a teeny little bit like Illyria in her original form' she added. 'She has a picture on her wall she photocopied from a old book and had enlarged' she told Buffy.

'She looks better for having lost the weight' Buffy commented, looking at the demon with distaste. 'Well at least we know what the thing with the tentacles was that tried to escape the hellmouth a couple of times' she said brightly. 'I always did wonder.'

'Hey Tess' Faith called out to a gunslayer, 'put a few rounds in the calamari over there' she requested.

'How do you remember all of their names?' Buffy whispered to Faith as the girl fired her rifle into the demon to apparently little effect as it kept coming.

'Maybe it's because I didn't fill my mind up with all that fancy college book learning' Faith replied. 'Or I could just be smarter than you as well as hotter' she added with a grin.

'In your dreams on both counts' Buffy replied. 'Try more bullets' she suggested loudly which resulted in four gunslayers emptying their rifles into the demon, the incendiary bullets just seeming to be absorbed.

'I think this is scythe-work B' Faith told her.

'I think you're right' Buffy agreed. 'Who's the chick with the long brown hair over there with another scythe?' she asked quietly.

'Oh come on B, that's Kira, she was one of the first chicks that joined us in LA after we whupped the First in _our_ Sunnydale' Faith replied, rolling her eyes.

'They should wear name badges or something' Buffy mumbled, there were hundreds of them. 'Hey Kira come here, we need another girl with a scythe because that thing has a lot of arms' she called to the girl loudly.

Kira ran over, scythe ready. 'Ready Ma'am' she said.

'Faith you go right, Kira you go left I'll try and hack my way through the middle to what I _think_ is its head' Buffy instructed the others before yawning again. 'I really need to catch up with my sleep' she moaned before brandishing her slayer scythe, the original and still the best as far as she was concerned.

When Spike arrived a few minutes later, after Dawn had portalled back home to fetch him, he found to his regret that all the Turok-Han were gone and that a great mob of slayers were watching Buffy, Faith and another girl fight something really ugly. They repeatedly hacked off its tentacles but damn if they didn't grow right back. 'Why don't you help them?' he asked the other girls.

'Buffy told us not to' a slayer replied. 'I think it's turned into a grudge match' she continued as the Chief-Slayer sliced off another piece of the demon to little avail. 'Willow got screamed at by the boss for shooting a fireball at it a couple of minutes back' she said, indicating the witch standing nearby. 'Not that the fireball did anything anyway' she added.

Faith dodged another tentacle, leaping back to avoid being pole-axed by it. 'B this is getting ridiculous' she declared. 'The thing just isn't going to die' she said. 'And I'm covered in demon goo' she complained, the creatures thick strangely coloured blood dripping from her hair as well as her clothes and scythe.

'Just keep hacking at it' Buffy called back. 'It can't regenerate forever can it?' she asked rhetorically.

'How the hell do we _know_?' Faith asked reasonably as she continued to fight.

Spike turned to Willow who looked back at him and shrugged. 'I don't know' she admitted. 'But I think Fred will want us to bring back a piece and a blood sample' she said.

'Can we please ask for help now Ma'am' Kira begged.

'Oh all right' Buffy conceded reluctantly. 'Little help' she requested of the other slayers.

'Let's get it!' a girl bellowed and went charging in with her sword, the others following on behind. Soon scores of them were chopping and hacking the demon to pieces and it simply couldn't regenerate fast enough not to be overwhelmed, eventually ending up as a pile of bloody twitching chunks.

'Okay so now that's over with I guess its Spike's time to shine again' the ensouled vampire declared, taking the amulet from his pocket. 'The rest of you clear off and make sure you're a long way away before I put this thing on' he advised.

Willow regarded the amulet before looking Spike in the eyes 'You know even with the Gem of Amarra stopping you from going poof in a cloud of smoke this is probably going to hurt like hell' she told him.

'Just as long as this thing does stop me turning to ash I can stand a little pain' Spike replied, holding up the hand with the ring on his finger. 'I just don't want to be a ghost again even for a little while' he told her.

'It might be easier to do that' Willow told him. 'I'm going to try and teleport you out when the rood caves in but you might have to dig your way out if I can't pull it off and this will be a lot more dirt than your grave was' she pointed out.

'The Blue Meanie managed it, I'll be fine' Spike told her. 'Her daughter the Red Menace is _sure_ this piece of gaudy jewellery works with the _other_ piece though right? he checked, indicating the ring then the amulet.

'She says you've done it before at a couple of other hellmouths' Willow replied.

'It had bloody better' Spike replied. 'So how do I look?' he asked.

'With the ring and the amulet?' Willow queried.

'Yeah' Spike confirmed.

'Like a New Orleans pimp from the seventies' Willow told him, 'a flamboyantly gay one that isn't sure if he prefers the Punk style' she added, trying not to giggle.

Spike glared at her. 'A bloke about to save the world, _again_, should get more respect' he muttered. On the plus side if she was winding him up like this she must be pretty confident he wasn't going to die he realised.

'Going to say your tearful goodbyes with Buffy again?' Willow asked.

'Not this time, I've already seen how it ends' Spike replied. 'But remind me to borrow a helmet from one of those gunslayer bints before they all bugger-off' he said. 'It'll ruin my hair but not as much as when that bloody roof caves in.'

'I did say I'm going to try and teleport you out' Willow reminded him.

'Better safe than sorry Red' Spike told her. 'My skull isn't exactly up to Smurfette's standards' he noted, tapping himself on the side of the head. 'This place really could do with a spruce up' he opined, looking around. 'I'd better not die here, I'd like to go out somewhere with a little more class' he said.

'And now you're complaining about the decor' Willow replied. 'First the new look, now a fixation on interior design, you'll be liking musicals next' she said. 'My Gaydar is going nuts.'

Spike narrowed his eyes. 'Did Angel put you up to this?' he asked coldly.

Willow laughed. 'Could be' she replied.

'I hate that tosser' Spike muttered. He was still thinking dark thoughts about him when he put on the amulet and destroyed the hellmouth. Next time the brooding sod was going to be the one that got to do this bollocks he decided as the cavern collapsed and another Sunnydale fell into a huge hole.


End file.
